Be More Proactive This Time Around, Luckster
by jean010
Summary: Going back to his high school days to stop the end of the world sounded impossible enough, but when such an offer is given to him what else could he do but to accept? Stopping Junko and her Despair before it even began, nothing was going to stop him now... Except maybe his friends blowing up the school just to get his attention, that is. NaegiXEveryone.
1. Uncertain Future, Changing Present

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: First thing I want to do is to give a shoutout to Dancantsin on Twitter and Instagram. I've known him for a while and he has just made a bit of fanart about this story which I think its pretty damn cool. This story probably wouldn't exist without him too, so to anyone that wants to check it I'll be putting the link in my profile. Thank you for the support!.**

 **Update 26/11/2017: Proper thanks to RWBYJNPR for fixing this chapter.**

 **Prologue**

 **Uncertain Future, Changing Present**

The future is not set in stone.

He couldn't remember where or when he had heard those words for the first time. It might have been on a T.V show or maybe even in a video game. Maybe he had heard his parents saying it while they ate dinner or he could have just read it somewhere like a magazine or the internet.

He truly wasn't able to remember even when he tried, however by now such a thing mattered little to him. What he truly cared about was the meaning of the phrase itself.

He knew a lot of people might consider it childish or maybe even cliché, and he understood why they would think that way. Thinking back on it he probably thought the same too, even if the words had sounded cool to his ears.

However, when your whole reason for living was set around that same exact phrase you stopped thinking about how silly or cool it might sound and instead you simply prayed to whoever was listening for those words to be true.

It might sound like an exaggeration, that much he knew. He understood that if he ever told any of his friends just how obsessed he was with the fact that the future could be changed by his actions they would probably think that either he had gone insane or that he was pulling an extremely dumb prank.

And he wouldn't be able to blame them for thinking that.

Because unlike him, they didn't know what kind of future awaited them.

They didn't know about the apocalyptic world that a high school girl was going to create. They didn't know how some of them would be forced to participate in a sick game in which they had to kill their friends while not even remembering the last two years of their lives. They didn't know how some would be manipulated to join said high school girl's side while having their minds broken until they became the world's #1 enemy.

And he was _glad_ they didn't know about it. He was happy that they could all live their lives without knowing just how utterly hopeless things could get in even less than a year.

He was truly happy that they didn't have to face such despair.

But even so, he would never trade his own position for anything in the world. Would he be happy right now if he didn't know what was to come? Definitely, or at least it would stop the nightmares that he sometimes had.

But he refused to forget. He refused to act as if everything he knew was just a bad dream or some sort of lie. He couldn't, not when those memories were the only weapon he had against _her_.

Those memories were his strength, and that belief, for the future to be able to change by his actions, was his _hope_.

"I know you're awake, you know? Pretending to be asleep just to ignore me, how rude of you, _Naegi-kun._ "

Ah, he almost forgot why he had started an internal monologue just like that. It wasn't like he did it often or anything, although he certainly did it more than he would like to admit but at least right now he had a good enough reason for that!

Well, maybe it wasn't the best of reasons, but in his defense, he _had_ been asleep. Sure, he woke up and instead of moving he had decided to just play it silently with his thoughts as his only partner in crime but hey, considering the person that had decided to sit on the opposite side of the table he had used to rest it had seemed like a good idea at the time.

And in fact the only reason he didn't stick to his act and keep his head down between his arms was because of a certain someone suddenly grabbing a sensitive part of his body and suddenly tugging it with all of her might, with both the force and the unexpectedness of the action being more than enough to get a reaction from him.

"Ugh!" He groaned in pain just as he quickly raised his head in order to escape the grasp of the person in front of him, while his hands were quick to move to the top of his head as they carefully touched the spike resting on top of his brown hair.

He could even feel the ahoge almost twitching in his hands. It was a rather sensitive thing after all, and judging by the expression of the one responsible for his pain she was certainly aware of that fact.

He could only glare in response.

"Was that necessary, Enoshima-san?" His voice came out slowly as a frown set itself in his face just as his hazel eyes focused on the girl sitting in front of him.

Strawberry blonde hair tied in a pair of pigtails and light blue eyes which rested on a face that could only be described as beautiful, there was definitely no denying who was sitting in front of him. After all, not only was she pretty much a celebrity while also being someone that he saw almost daily, but she was also the one responsible for his current state of mind.

The Ultimate Fashionista, Enoshima Junko. A well-renowned name and title that belonged to the unique girl that was his classmate. A student of the famous Hope's Peak Academy with a knack for pranks while also being the sister of the Ultimate Soldier, who also just so happened to be another one of his classmates.

Yes, all of those descriptions could definitely be used to describe the blonde girl sitting in front of him, but to him she was so much more than that. Her current reputation truly didn't do her justice, and in his heart there was only one way that he could refer to this woman even if the events that would give her that title had yet to come.

Ultimate Despair…

"It's your fault for ignoring me." The smile she was giving him easily told him how little she cared if she got him upset or not. Not that such a thing surprised him of course, in fact what actually surprised him was the fact that she hadn't done _more_.

Compared to what she tried to do to him during their two years in this school, just tugging his ahoge seemed like child's play.

And that was just ignoring the type of things that he knew could cross her mind.

"I wasn't." He ended up simply denying it, even when he knew it was futile. "I was just a bit tired…"

It wasn't a complete lie, and although he had gotten better at those he still knew that someone like Junko would be able to see right through him easily.

Maybe coming to the library of the school just to rest his eyes a bit had not been the best idea in retrospect.

The small humming sound he received from the girl was enough to tell him just how much she actually believed him.

"What? Is mister popular here too tired of playing with his dogs and bitches?" And if there was one thing the Fashionista knew how to do, it was how to get a rise out of him. Not that such a thing was particularly hard in her opinion, mind you. "I wonder how long you will be able to keep that one going…"

He knew what she was implying, he knew that she was simply taunting him with her words and her grin. Her words sounded simple, but when it came to matters between the two nothing was ever simple.

He did the only thing he could think of as soon as those words reached his ears and simply glared at the blonde model. It might sound like a simple reaction, but for those that knew the young man, they would be truly surprised at seeing such a sharp expression on his face.

He wasn't the only one that would surprise others with his actions though, after all even the actions of the blonde beauty in front of him could only be described as strange to those that had gotten used to how she normally acted.

From changing her personality by the second out of sheer boredom to simply messing with others just to see how long it would take until they broke, not even her sister was free from such actions and yet none of that could be found on her right now.

It was as if they were two completely different individuals, but even they knew that this side of them would only be shown to the other like this, when it was just them and no one else.

Because to him he simply couldn't do any less. Enoshima Junko was the girl that had almost single-handedly brought the world to its knees, or rather she would _try_ to do so in the future. She would be the one responsible for friends and loved ones killing each other, families being torn apart as the world around them was set on fire and all in the name of her deranged obsession.

Against such an adversary he simply couldn't leave his guard down. There was just no time for him to feel inadequate or intimidated, not when his friend's hope rested on his shoulders.

He had made a promise to himself and to the remaining members of Future Foundation as soon as he had been given such a task. He would stop Enoshima Junko from filling the world with despair. He would stop The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History from happening, and then…

He would show Junko the hope that not even she could deny.

With such a task how could he act any less than his best when she was sitting right in front of him?

But for the woman in question things were completely different. She didn't have the memories of a future yet to come like he did. She didn't know the type of world she would create, or how even her own life would end because of the actions of the boy in front of her.

But what she did know was simple. Naegi Makoto was interesting to her.

No, saying that he was _just_ interesting wouldn't do him justice by now. He had grown past just that a long time ago and by now he was an existence that had firmly planted himself in both her mind and heart to the point that she couldn't think of a single moment in the last year in which thoughts of the Luckster _didn't_ swarm her head.

She hated him, she _despised_ him.

She hated his stupid optimism even when things looked as bad as they could get. She hated how one smile and a few words from him were enough to get everyone to smile again. She hated how the whole school was putty in his hands just because he never knew when to shut his mouth.

She hated how even her failure of a sister had ended up falling for such a guy to the point she actually dared to defy her.

She truly loathed every cell that made one Naegi Makoto.

And yet… With those sharp eyes glaring straight at her, even she couldn't deny the tingle of excitement that went down her spine. She even had to stop herself from licking her lips like a hunter that had found the most delicious prey.

Because those hazel orbs were looking at her in a way that she knew was reserved to only her. Only in them was she able to see it all. The negative feelings that someone like him shouldn't have. They were there for her pleasure, and she would never get tired of seeing such a thing.

The pain, the anger, the fear and the resolution, all of that was being displayed in his gaze with such an intensity that she can still remember almost choking on it the first time she saw his expression. She didn't know how someone as ordinary as him could show her such a sight, but by now she was addicted to it.

She loved it, and she needed so much _more_ of it.

There was no need to change personalities or to just mess around with him when he could offer her so much more that could entertain her. He was the one that dared to oppose her openly, but by now she wouldn't have it any other way.

After all, it would only make it sweeter once she ripped away that disgusting hope from every inch of his body.

Her plans for the world could wait, they could wait until she finally had her trophy by her side, broken to the point that the Naegi Makoto, Ultimate Lucky Student of class 78 became nothing but a distant memory and only Despair remained.

And only then would he be hers and hers only.

She honestly couldn't wait.

And it was only after minutes of hazel brown eyes matching light blue ones in a staring contest that a sudden sound around them was able to break their locked gazes, with said sound signaling them that it was now time to go back to their classroom.

After all, she might be a deranged girl with plans of world destruction in her head, while he was a time traveler with nothing but sheer optimism as his weapon, but even so, those weren't excuses to arrive late to class!

* * *

It was another loud bell that announced the end of the class, and as soon as said sound filled his ears the Luckster of the classroom could only release a relieved sigh, his head almost hitting his table as he felt his strength leave his body.

Hope's Peak Academy wasn't called one of the greatest, if not _the_ greatest place for learning just for nothing. After all, even if the school focused more on each individual's personal growth related to their talents, the normal classes that they still had were nothing to scoff at.

Heck, this was his second time learning all of this and he still found it hard to grasp! At least it was easier this time he guessed, both by the fact that he, in theory, should already know this stuff and also because of the help some of his friends were giving him when it came to the academic side of things.

And speaking of his friends…

A hand was suddenly slammed right onto his desk, the smack itself easily being loud enough to fill the classroom with noise. Which was surprising when you considered the amount of sound filling the classroom, most of the said noise being that of chairs being moved and people's steps.

"Oi, Makoto!" He also wasn't even surprised by the sudden action, since by now he was far too used to such a thing. In fact, the only thing that surprised him slightly was the person that was addressing him, not because it was something weird, but rather because of how far apart their seats were from one another.

He didn't dare to look just to see what type of mayhem such an action could have caused, considering the apparent mad dash that the guy responsible for calling his name had done just to reach his desk first.

But then again, he really wasn't kidding about getting way too used to such things.

"C'mon, dude! The other guys at the gang keep pestering me about bringing you along again and this time I'm not taking no for an answer!" The loud, almost scary voice that regarded him could truly not be mistaken by anyone as to who the owner of the said voice was, and once he looked up his eyes were quick to confirm it.

Owada Mondo, also known as the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, stood right in front of him with a massive grin plastered on his face. The taller boy's enthusiasm was certainly contagious to the point that he found himself simply smiling in kind. Sure, his classmate could be intimidating but by now he knew that someone like Mondo would never hurt him.

He opened his mouth, more than ready to actually agree with the idea. Sure, he was tired and doing something as riding alongside the biggest biker gang in the whole country was still more than a little intimidating, but how could he say no to such an honest invitation?

Not like he was given the time to answer anyway, since another hand was also quick to slam itself on his desk, with the owner of this one alternating between glaring as best as he could towards Mondo and smiling confidently down at the Luckster.

"Hold your horses there dude, Makoto and I are going to go pick up some chicks today!" It was Kuwata Leon, the Ultimate Baseball Star that spoke with a tone as if he was explaining the most obvious thing.

Before anyone else even got the chance to speak a third hand had descended quite abruptly on Makoto's poor desk. He could even see cracks starting to appear already! Not like this was the first time it happened but he was sure by now that the Headmaster didn't like having to change his desk every week.

"I'm sorry, bro, but Naegi-kun and I were going to discuss matters about joining the Student Council!" That loud voice, alongside the way he used to call Mondo, could only be related to one Ishimaru Kiyotaka, who proudly held the title of Ultimate Moral Compass of their class.

"Bro, you…!"

"I don't care about any of that! Makoto, you coming or what?"

"Naegi-kun would never break a promise between us brothers, that much I can guarantee you!"

And suddenly all their gazes were aimed straight down at him to the point that he actually felt slightly nervous with the intensity of their stares. It didn't matter how many times he was caught in a situation like this one he still didn't think he would ever get used to such a thing, even if he knew that he could only blame himself for this.

Not that he regretted it in any way, mind you.

The discussion was far from over though, for a small, almost melodic chuckle was heard by the group of four coming right from behind the Luckster. Said chuckle was followed by a tone of voice that was enough to make Leon, Mondo and Kiyotaka more than a little nervous.

"I'm sure Naegi-kun here would prefer to spend his day with someone like me rather than with a group of brutes such as you three… Isn't that right, Naegi-kun?" The way her almost devilish expression turned into an angelic smile as soon as the object of her attention changed was so fast that everyone present was sure they would have missed it if they had blinked.

Not that such a different way of treating others was a rare thing coming from Celestia Ludenberg, also known as the Ultimate Gambler, although it was still quite the sight. Celestia's, or rather Celes as she preferred being called like that by him, sudden proposal was even more surprising than the rest, at least to Makoto.

Not that he was given time to answer this proposal anyway.

"I-I'm sorry, Celestia-sama, b-but I can't give Makoto-dono's free time away just like that!" The voice began as a stutter, but it quickly gained the eccentric high spirit that could easily be associated with Yamada Hifumi, the resident Ultimate Doujin Author, however any confidence the artist might have had was quickly swept away as soon as everyone aimed their glares at him.

Wondering if he would ever be allowed to speak, and knowing that he most likely wouldn't, Makoto was once again stopped from voicing out his thoughts by a small, shaking hand touching his shoulder, which got him to turn on his seat around while sporting a slightly confused expression.

"I-I thought you c-could help me with my i-idea today…" His own gaze softened almost instantly as soon as it landed on the Ultimate Programmer, Fujisaki Chihiro. The smaller boy was even shaking from nervousness and considering how hectic things were getting he couldn't really blame him for that, although it seemed it didn't stop Chihiro from still requesting his time.

His original plan of simply accepting the first invitation he received was already going down the drain by the number of people that were gathering around his desk. Sure, getting asked out by more than one of his friends wasn't particularly weird, but this one seemed like one of those days in which _everyone_ wanted to chime in.

He guessed that it was because they didn't have class tomorrow or something, but just as he had predicted it didn't take long for the rest of his classmates to join the already turbulent fray.

"Naegi promised to train with us! He's ours today!" This time it was Asahina Aoi, the Ultimate Swimming Pro, the one that voiced out her complains while crossing her arms over her chest.

"Asahina is indeed correct, we should be going to the gym by now in fact." The calm voice that followed belonged to the taller girl standing right behind the swimmer, and with such an imposing figure said individual could not be mistaken for anyone except the Ultimate Martial Artist, Ogami Sakura.

"That's not fair; you two keep hogging Naegi-kun too much already!" The quite pleasant to hear voice was followed by Makoto feeling another hand resting on his free shoulder, with said hand belonging to the girl that would normally be sitting on the desk right beside his "Naegi-kun was going to listen to my new song today, isn't that right, Naegi-kun?"

The sweet smile he received from the popular phenomenon known as Maizono Sayaka, The Ultimate Pop Sensation, was almost enough to get him to blush more than what he would like to admit.

Now he was _really_ starting to remember just why he had decided to sleep for a bit in the library.

"Don't listen to them, Makoto-chi! I have seen it already, going with any of them will only end in disaster for you!" The older student of class 78th suddenly spoke, with said title belonging to none other than to Hagakure Yasuhiro, who also proudly sported the title of Ultimate Clairvoyant.

And while the Luckster in question was actually a little bit touched that his friend would do him a reading for free, especially considering how iron-willed he always was about charging, he also found himself doubting just how effective said prediction actually was.

"A-as if someone like Makoto-sama would listen to an idiot like you…" And it seemed he wasn't the only one that dared to doubt the clairvoyant's ability if the words of Fukawa Toko, the Ultimate Writing Prodigy, were anything to go by. "N-not like he would waste his time with any of you since he p-promised to proof-read something for m-me today anyway!"

…He was starting to notice a pattern here. Maybe he was really throwing out promises way too lightly but how was he supposed to say no when someone asked him to spend time with them like that?!

And by the way he felt Sayaka's grip on his shoulder becoming even fiercer he had a feeling things were about to go south pretty quickly.

"You shouldn't let them push you around like that, Naegi-kun." And while the ahoge boy knew that not every member of his class had gotten into the argument, he still hadn't expected for anyone of the remaining four that had not spoken to suddenly speak out, let alone the girl that always sat right behind him "If you do, they'll never learn their lesson."

He turned his head around slightly to look behind him, his brown eyes quickly meeting a pair of cold blue ones that he recognized instantly. He couldn't help but smile slightly at the Ultimate Soldier, Ikusaba Mukuro. After all, he knew she meant well with her words, but he also knew how others might take them.

And judging by the heated stares he could feel from everyone, alongside Sayaka's grip which was even becoming painful by now, they certainly heard her icy words.

Luckily the argument, which he knew was just seconds away from escalating into something worse, was stopped by another voice, this one being a confident sounding one to the point of arrogance. However, knowing just who the owner of the voice was, Makoto could only hope that he wouldn't make things _that_ much worse.

"Huh, someone like Naegi finally standing up to these idiots? I would certainly pay to see that happening." The Ultimate Affluent Prodigy, Togami Byakuya, was not one to mind his words, nor did he care when everyone's glare moved quickly towards him. In fact, his only response was to smirk slightly just as his sharp gaze focused on the Luckster of the class. "However since I would rather end this monkey show already I'll even do you a favor. You're coming with me, end of the discussion."

The blonde's words actually got the whole classroom to fall into silence for a total of five seconds, but just as a tired sigh escaped Makoto's lips the shouting match between his classmates began once again, this time with somehow even more fire than before.

At least his shoulder wasn't getting crushed anymore, that was always a good thing in his books.

Luckily for him, the two remaining members of class 78 had apparently decided to not participate in the argument for who deserved to spend their free time with him, and for that, he was honestly more than a little thankful.

Junko joining would definitely only make things worse by default, but it seemed the Fashionista was satisfied enough with just watching everything from her seat while a small crown rested on top on her head, as she incited the so-called commoners around her to entertain her.

And as to the last student of the class, his hazel eyes were drawn to her form, with said gaze quickly meeting a pair of purple eyes. To call Kirigiri Kyoko, the Ultimate Detective, stoic would be kind of an understatement for almost anyone that knew her, however, he would have to be blind to not notice the small smile she was sending his way from the back of the classroom.

He wasn't able to hold the awkward chuckle that escaped his lips just as he scratched his cheek with his finger. After all, they both knew that he was the only one to blame for things getting this heated up, and judging by the glint that he was able to detect in her purple eyes he also knew that he was alone on this one.

Then again, he had a feeling that the only reason his lavender-haired friend wasn't adding her two cents to the mix was because he had already spent most of his time yesterday with her, and apparently being with him two days in a row was against the rules.

Their words, not his. He hadn't even known about the existence of rules until a few months ago! And even now he still didn't even know what those rules entailed since apparently not talking about the rules was their first rule.

But even so, he knew he had to do something by now, especially going by how Mondo was starting to crack his knuckles as he walked slowly to a scowling Byakuya. He would definitely prefer if they were able to keep the same classroom for a whole month without something breaking, it would certainly be at least a new record for the class.

"Everyone, please!" He stood up abruptly while his voice came out loud enough to gather everyone's attention on him. After all, him raising his voice like that was something that rarely ever happened and the occasion demanded their attention almost immediately.

And to his credit, Makoto didn't shy away from the focused stares everyone was giving him. He could even see Junko from the corner of his eyes also looking at him with her crown now forgotten.

The brown-haired teen took a deep breath as he thought about what he could say to calm down the situation he had gotten himself in. He wasn't kidding about it all being his fault, even ignoring how he had promised to spend time with everyone, which he couldn't deny although he certainly didn't remember anyone saying it would be today.

But then again it seemed as if there was a force out there in the universe that was extremely keen on not letting Makoto speak out, for as soon as he opened his mouth to address all of class 78 another loud noise stopped him in his tracks while shifting everyone's attention towards one of the doors of their classroom.

The sound itself had been caused by someone sliding open said door rather strongly, and even Makoto found himself surprised as to the identity of the person that had just opened the door, although judging by the stares from his friends to said person they were definitely more annoyed than surprised.

"Y-yes… I made it first…" Said individual was obviously more than a little bit tired if the way he was trying to catch his breath was anything to go by, however even that wasn't able to stop the guy from grinning enthusiastically as soon as his pink eyes made contact with Makoto's surprised stare.

"Yo, Makoto!" The newcomer said with a friendly wave while completely ignoring the rest of the students in the classroom in favor of focusing on his favorite Luckster "Let's get out of here quickly before the re-gah!"

Whatever Soda Kazuichi, the Ultimate Mechanic of the class above them and one of his senpais, was about to say would be forever lost in time since he was then tackled out of existence by a silver blur, leaving the open door rather empty while obvious sounds of struggle could be heard right outside of the room.

A part of Makoto would really like to say that this was all a rare occurrence inside the walls of Hope's Peak Academy, but he would only be lying to himself if he did.

And already having an idea as to who the silver blur that had tackled Kazuichi was, he wasn't really surprised when another figure, this time one even smaller than him, appeared on the still open door.

"Keep him there Peko, serves him right for trying to get a head start by pretending to be sick." The growling voice and obviously angry form of the Ultimate Yakuza, Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko, was the next thing that the students of class 78 saw at the door, although just like his classmate before him Fuyuhiko's expression was quick to change as soon as his golden eyes landed on Makoto while a smirk was quick to form on his lips.

"C'mon Naegi, you're eating dinner with me today. My sister keeps pestering me about bringing you to the house again anyway, so that makes two birds with one stone." The proposal only got a nervous smile from Makoto, who could remember quite vividly just how hectic things got last time he went with the Yakuza.

He had never been in a proper gunfight before so at least it had been a learning experience.

Unlike the Mechanic before him though, Fuyuhiko actually did notice the heated stares he was receiving from everyone except Makoto, but it wasn't like he was going to let himself be intimidated by his underclassmen, especially with what was at stake.

However it was the sound of commotion becoming increasingly stronger outside of the classroom that stopped the blonde from blowing off everyone else, and by the way his expression soured as soon as he looked to the side, more problematic individuals were getting closer.

"Shit, they're almost here." Fuyuhiko cursed just as he sent Makoto one last nod. "Let me deal with my annoying classmates first, don't you dare leave."

And with that, he closed the door, and simply going by the sudden shouts and tremors that could be heard and felt from right outside it told the 78th class just what kind of battle their seniors were experiencing.

Makoto could only sigh tiredly, thinking about how the Headmaster was going to want an explanation about whatever was happening here. The rest of his classmates, with the exception of Junko who only looked bored out of her mind, were sending each other firm, determined glances and nods. Even people as shy as Chihiro and cold as Byakuya were following suit, after all it was simply one more of their unspoken rules.

They were all rivals that faced each other when it came to their Luckster, but when it came to the other classes that were trying to get _their_ Naegi Makoto away from them, the 78th class became a united front.

It was a necessary precaution, especially when their seniors were hardly the only class more than a little interested in their Ultimate Lucky Student.

And speaking of the devil…

Already wondering just what could make this situation even more chaotic, Makoto's thoughts were answered by the other door of the classroom also being opened with more force than necessary, making everyone's eyes go from one extreme of the room to the other one, with Makoto himself starting to have some cold sweat down his forehead as soon as he realized who had opened the door this time and just what it meant.

Iruma Miu, Ultimate Inventor of class 79, stood there almost breathlessly with the sweat dripping down her forehead an obvious sign she had run here with all of her strength. It seemed that Makoto's eyes had some sort of ability to cure tiredness though, because just like with Kazuichi before her as soon as Miu's grey eyes landed on the brown-haired Ultimate her gaze lit up with an almost childlike enthusiasm, all evidence of her exhausted state completely disappearing in the blink of an eye.

However, unlike Kazuichi before her Miu wasn't given time to even say anything, since as soon as she even tried to open her mouth while putting a foot inside the room she was suddenly tripped by a shadow behind her, getting the blonde girl to yelp in surprise before moaning in pain as soon as her face made contact with the floor in quite the spectacular manner.

"The fact that you thought no one would notice you suddenly disappearing somehow makes you look even _more_ stupid than usual, you useless pig." They couldn't see the owner of the playful voice that was now dragging Miu outside of the room, but the groans that escaped most of Makoto's classmates told anyone that saw them that they had an idea as to who it was and that they weren't thrilled by having him here.

"Naegi-chan, I got us a new game! We can use the pig's dirty body to play Surgeon!" And sure enough, their suspicion was proven correct once Oma Kokichi, the Ultimate Supreme Leader, stuck his head inside the classroom with an innocent smile plastered on his lips.

"Oma-kun…" And the Luckster had to admit that, barring Junko who was on a whole different level to him by default, dealing with the purple-haired Ultimate was probably one of the hardest things he had to do on an almost daily basis. At least he was a lot better by now, although he also knew just what kind of reputation Kokichi had earned for himself among his friends.

Then again it seemed that this time he would be free from figuring out how Oma Kokichi worked, for just as the Ultimate started waving at him he was shoved to the side with so much strength that, if his screams of shock were anything to go by, he had been launched head first into whatever type of argument the 77th class was still having.

"Serves him right for pushing me down the stairs!" The one that took Kokichi's place, who was also responsible for throwing said Ultimate to the wolves, complained slightly right before his boisterous voice reached Makoto alongside his enthusiastic grin. "Oi Makoto, let's do something today! I even brought Maki Roll with me!"

"If you call me that again I'm really killing you…" The contrast between Momota Kaito, Ultimate Astronaut, and the cold-looking girl that he had apparently dragged here, who was none other than the Ultimate Child Caregiver Harukawa Maki, was like day and night. Although in Makoto's eyes he was just glad that the red-eyed Ultimate was starting to get along with the rest of her classmates, or at least the fact that she let Kaito drag her here seemed to indicate that.

After all, he knew first-hand that if Maki didn't like it she could have easily blown Kaito off, although something told him by the way those red-eyes focused on him that she really wanted him to accept the invitation if just so that Kaito would finally release his hold on her wrist.

Something that the astronaut actually ended up doing, although for completely different reasons. The sound of even _more_ people coming towards the door only filled Makoto with even more dread, with his ahoge even twitching a bit almost as if it could feel Makoto's worries.

Kaito's words just confirmed it even more.

"Damn, those guys are faster than I thought!" He said with a smirk while his fist met his other palm, his eyes going from the hallway back to Makoto "We're grabbing a bite after this so just you wait there!" And without even waiting for a response the younger Ultimate closed the door, although his voice could still be heard by those inside the classroom.

"Yosh, I trust you with my back on this one, Maki Roll!"

"…You really have a death wish, don't you?"

"I'll let you have half of my time with Makoto."

"…Fine."

And then the already loud hallway became even more of a mess. Sure, no one inside the classroom could actually see what was happening, nor were they interested in actually seeing the mayhem, but just based on the sounds of the whole thing it definitely looked as if they were all going all out on each other.

'I'm so sorry for this, Headmaster…' For his part, Makoto simply sent a silent prayer to the older of the two Kirigiris that he knew. He could only imagine how much extra work this was going to give the man.

At least his classmates had stopped arguing with one another, so at least not everything was as bad as it looked.

In fact, everyone simply stood there, covered in an eerie silence that the Luckster didn't dare to break. Sure, the noise outside could hardly be ignored, but as long as everyone inside the classroom remained calm he was sure that he would be able to figure something out.

Was he getting way too used to something like this happening? Yes, yes indeed. Did he have any idea as to how handle it properly? That one could be argued.

He should have known though, with the only warning that he received being certain blonde model smiling coyly at him, that it would be Junko the one that would bring about his demise.

"So do you want to go on a date with me, Naegi-kun?"

And with that the momentary truce that class 78 had ended up being broken in less than a second by mere words, with words and arguments flying through the air between the Ultimates almost as if they were bullets.

And in the center of this Naegi Makoto could do nothing except sigh tiredly, although in his face there was no hint of annoyance whatsoever. Instead, there was nothing but a small, honest smile that he did his best to hide from his friends by lowering his head.

It might have looked weird for an outsider looking in, but how was he supposed to _not_ smile when he could hear everyone talking excitedly around him?

Sure, the subject itself could have been better, but the fact that they were all arguing about something as simple as to what to do after classes was enough to make him smile.

He would just have to make sure that times like these never ended both to him and to everyone that put a foot inside Hope's Peak Academy.

* * *

His whole body felt like jelly, almost as if his knees would give up at any second, sending his body face first into the floor.

Luckily for him, he had been able to reach his home before something like that happened. Sure, he got back later than usual since he had helped clean the mess that had been created in what could only be described as the third multi-class showdown of the month but hey, at least it had been a nice bonding time between his friends.

Besides most of the time he spent there had been him trying to convince a certain Ultimate Moral Compass that not everything was his fault just because he didn't stop everyone before they made a mess.

That didn't make him any less tired though, and he was truly glad that his parents had bought a house so close to Hope's Peak just because of him. There were always the dorm rooms back at the school, but he actually preferred simply staying at his house, closer to his family.

He didn't like to sound like a kid, but he to admit that the first thing he had done after landing back in this time and waking up just to see his parents and his sister eating breakfast as usual had been to cry his eyes out.

He smiled tiredly as the memories of his parents and Komaru trying to calm him down while not even knowing why he was crying assaulted his mind. Convincing them that he was fine after that had been another hard task, but the last thing that he had wanted to do had been to take away their smiles by telling them the truth.

He opened the door to his room, his legs dragging his tired body slowly towards the bed right after turning the lights on. There was no one else in the house besides him, since apparently both of his parents had to work late today while his little sister was having a sleepover at a friend's house.

With how much his body demanded rest he didn't even have dinner today, and instead he had opted for just coming right into his room. The way his hazel eyes shined as soon as he saw his bed could have lit up the whole room, and not a second later he was resting face up in the bed, eyes closed as slow breaths left him.

Today's events weren't the only thing that had made him this tired though since it was rather a combination of some of the things he ended up doing mostly out of his desire to stop whatever Junko might be scheming in her mind and his lack of sleep.

You would think that after two years of reliving his time at Hope's Peak those nightmares would have ended by now, but even after seeing that everyone from his class was safe and sound, that his family was alive and happy and that the world was still intact the nightmares still ate away some of his nights.

That video had really done wonders for him, hadn't it?

He opened his eyes slowly as he raised his body from the bed. At least he was better now and he didn't have to deal with those every single night, something that he could only be thankful for.

Although if he had to guess as to why he had gotten better there was really only one possibility in his head, and almost as if someone had read his mind a sudden buzzing sound, alongside the feeling of something shaking, suddenly came out of one of his pant pockets.

He was quick to remove the object making said sound from his pocket, and with a quick movement of his fingers he unlocked his cellphone, allowing him to see just what exactly was making it sound so much.

And just as he guessed based on the sound his phone had suddenly just received more messages that he could count, and just watching as some more texts kept arriving he already had an idea as to just how long he would be answering all of them.

But even then he did nothing but smile softly in response, because to him this was nothing but the proof that his work so far had actually been worth it and that the future could, in fact, be changed!

After all wasn't it around this time that everything started going badly for everyone? And yet here he had the proof that it wasn't like that this time around.

Stopping Enoshima Junko from filling the world with her despair, that was his objective. A part of him still didn't understand why from all the remaining members of Future Foundation he had been the one chosen for the task. Surely someone like Kyoko or Byakuya would have been better for this mission, right? A part of him still believed it so.

But yet here he was, doing his best to stop Junko from going on a rampage. From stopping her from gaining the tools that would allow her to accomplish The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History, to making her focus solely on him by openly going against her despair since day one, he honestly believed that he had done everything in his power to stop her.

Well, there was still _one_ last alternative, but he refused to go through with it. In his heart he truly believed that even someone like Junko could still be saved, he just had to find out how.

Befriending everyone like how he had done so by now though, had not been entirely part of Future Foundation's plan. Yes, they had told him to keep an eye for anyone that Junko might turn into Despair like her, but just like with the Remnants of Despair he had decided to do it in his own way.

From the senpais that he knew little of, to his own classmates whose deaths back in his time still weighted heavily on his mind, to even the underclassmen that he didn't even remember having, he had decided on a simple way of making sure they would never fall into Junko's clutches.

He would simply be there for them. He would be their friends even if they hated him, and he would do everything in his power so that none of them ever fell into despair, not only for their future but because they all deserved better.

He still wasn't completely sure if he deserved the title that Kyoko had given to him the first time Junko had been defeated, the one of true Ultimate Hope, but if that talent was really as powerful as she had believed for it to be then he couldn't start faltering now.

He had made a promise to all of them, and their hopes for a different future became his own true hope. He would use that to defeat Enoshima Junko and her Despair once and for all.

* * *

 **First of all, I just wanted to state the obvious. This story is heavily inspired by some of my favorite Danganronpa fics on this site like "The Unlucky Luckster And The 77th Class" from Veos G17, "The Luckster and his luck" by Jibster and "King of Hope" by Putain de Plagieur as a lot of you can probably tell.**

 **I simply wanted to try something with some of their ideas that I loved to death while also trying something else so that it didn't come out as just a rip-off, and the result is this little shitstorm.**

 **Yes, this has Time Travel and this is Naegi after the events of the DR3 anime. Yes, this has the V3 crew even if their story doesn't fit properly here for obvious reasons and yes you can expect some OOC stuff from some characters since after all a big part of this story will be their unusual behavior when it comes to our original ahoge boy.**

 **Another thing that I wanted to try, and one of the reasons I even added the walking problem that is time-travel, is to write more about Naegi's character. Yes we all know him, he's the original Hope boy (sorry Komaeda and Kiibo) but I wanted to try more with him to see where I can take him on this ride.**

 **In the end this chapter I can only describe it as a tease just to put the idea out there and so that I can show the key factors of the story, which is why I didn't go as far as to show each character or give more time to the ones that appeared. More about each character will be shown in the future of course.**

 **Thank you all for actually reading this far and I apologize for any butchering of the language that you might find while reading the story. Hope you have a great day!**

 **Next Chapter: Walking to school shouldn't be this difficult.**


	2. Should Mornings Be This Hectic?

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **Update 26/11/2017: Proper thanks to RWBYJNPR for fixing this chapter.**

 **Chapter 1**

 **Should Mornings Be This Hectic?**

A small grunt left his lips as he moved his body in obviously practiced movements, right while a bit of sweat moved down his forehead as a result.

Bending his upper body so that his fingers were close to touching the end of his shoes, the brown-haired Ultimate repeated the action for just a few seconds before straightening up and moving back so that his face was looking up this time while he stretched his arms above him.

His hazel eyes were quick to focus on the clear morning sky right as a soft smile formed itself on his lips. His brown hair ended up moving slightly in the wind, although the distinctive spike resting on top of his hair kept its form no matter what.

With a sigh leaving his lips the teenager stood straight for just a second before tapping the ground with the end of his shoes lightly. His normal shoes had been replaced by a pair that would suit him better for the task to come, although his footwear wasn't the only piece of clothing that he had changed from his normal clothes.

Instead of his trusty hoodie right now he was wearing nothing but a dark blue tracksuit that fit his body perfectly. It was a gift from one of his friends and fellow Ultimate, one that he used whenever the situation called for it.

Just like right now, for example.

Giving the building behind him, his house to be more precise, a last look over the Ultimate Lucky Student of class 78 was quick to start his morning routine, which was also the reason he had been doing warm-ups until a few seconds ago.

And with nothing more stopping him one Naegi Makoto started his morning jog, something that he normally did on days like this in which he was free during the early hours of the morning.

Normally at this time of day he would be simply walking towards his school, but just like he did every weekend a morning jog was his choice of action when it came to starting the day, something that he honestly found himself enjoying by now, especially since it helped his body.

Of course, everything he knew about actually keeping his body healthy and in shape came from those at Hope's Peak whose talent made them extremely knowledgeable of such things. A perfect example of this would be one of his classmates, Sakura, although just thinking of just how extreme some of the things she did was enough to make his whole body ache in pain.

Another perfect example, and also the person that had actually advised him about how to better his own physical condition, was one of his senpais from class 77th. Then again if he had followed every instruction that said individual had indicated to him the first time then he would have probably died by now, but luckily for him, they had been able to reach a compromise.

Running through the streets that surrounded Hope's Peak was just the start of said compromise, but he really wasn't kidding about actually liking the exercise.

He was now really better at it too. Sure, he was still rather scrawny on his opinion but hey, at least he wasn't giving up after 15 minutes of running.

He still had more ground to cover though, although he didn't dare move towards Hope's Peak just yet. He was going to go later anyway, so right now simply moving through the streets of the surrounding buildings and houses was more than enough.

That and he simply had this gut feeling that if he did go closer something would happen that would force him to stop. He didn't know what, but by now trusting his gut became a necessity.

But even then something was still able of stopping him from continuing his jog. To be more precise it was a small sound, one that barely reached his ears with how faint it was, but that it made him stop as soon as he heard it.

Stopping at an intersection, Makoto was quick to look around him in interest, obviously trying to find the source of the sound, however looking to his left and right only revealed the empty streets that obviously weren't the source of the sound.

It was once that said sound became louder by the second that the Luckster finally realized it was coming from behind him. Turning his body to look at his back he wasn't able to stop his eyes from widening in surprise at the sight that greeted him.

And it was only then that he finally understood just what the sound was.

"NAEGI!" He didn't know how a person was able to create a cloud of dust just by running on concrete, but the sight of the massive curtain of dust was certainly very real for the brown-haired teen. The fact that he was able to hear such a scream from inside of it just made him blink owlishly just at the dust kept coming closer.

Knowing that there was only one thing he could do Makoto was quick to simply give a few steps back in order to give the human missile enough space to safely stop. He could still remember the first time he hadn't reacted in time after all, mostly out of the shock that such a sight had caused him.

Climbing down a light pole had certainly been a new experience for him.

It didn't take long for the curtain of dust to finally reach him, however not even a fraction of it even entered his lungs, for as soon as it reached him it also ended up being blown away by a booming voice which of course belonged to the responsible of lifting the dust in the first place.

"I knew I would find you here, Naegi Makoto!" The powerful laughter that the Luckster heard was followed by the distinct feeling of someone patting his back, and while he would like to say that he was able to handle it easily it would be nothing but a lie. He honestly had to focus just to not lose his balance.

"It's good to see you so energetic this early, Nidai-senpai." He voiced out with a smile, while a part of him wondering if there was a time of the day in which Nidai Nekomaru, Ultimate Team Manager, wasn't being as active as he could be.

Not that it bothered him or anything, especially since he knew just how much of that exuberant attitude was aimed at helping and caring for those that his senpai considered on his team.

And apparently, he had been graced with such a position if the older man's attitude towards him was any indication.

"How could I not be on my best while you're already moving your body?!" The taller Ultimate spoke with conviction to the point that Makoto was sure he saw some sparks flying from his eyes. Surely just a trick of his mind, but the determination in those eyes could not be mistaken for anything else.

And in all honesty, such a sight just made Makoto more than happy that this time around those like Nekomaru, alongside every single member of class 77, would not have to be subjected to the same despair that Junko had shown them back in his time, at least if he had any say about it.

However his honest smile, which actually had Nekomaru a bit taken back by how much emotion he was able to detect behind it, was quickly swept away by a frown of confusion, a question quickly appearing on his mind.

"Wait, how did you know I would be here, Nidai-senpai?" He asked in honest curiosity while wondering how such a thing could be. Sure, it was the older Ultimate in front of him that had decided a small training regime for him, but something like the route he took was something he never discussed, only the distance that he actually had to run.

Then again it wasn't like Nekomaru was the only person that could apparently track him with ease. In fact, most of his friends could do it in such a way that a while ago he had honestly wondered if they were tracking him some way.

Of course, such a theory had been quickly thrown out of the window just by how silly it sounded. Sure, a lot of his friends and fellow Ultimates could be a little over the top when it came to their friendship, and they sometimes forgot about the definition of self-control yes, that much he couldn't deny, but to go to the extreme of stalking him? Complete nonsense to him.

Well, there was _one_ exception to the rule but she was pretty much harmless!

…Most of the time.

But everyone else? Happy coincidences if he had to guess, although maybe even his own supposed luck played a part in it.

"I just so happened to see you during my own run!" The muscular Ultimate answered with another exaggerated chuckle, his quick answer earning a nod of acceptance from Makoto who simply didn't see any problem with Nekomaru's explanation.

Of course, the Ultimate Team Manager had just decided to omit the part in which he had run around every street close to Makoto's house and Hope's Peak, knowing that the younger Ultimate would be doing his morning exercises and hoping to come in contact with him so that he could supervise him personally.

Knowing the ins and outs when it came to Makoto's body and training, only he had such an advantage! And by his title was he going to use it!

"Let us continue our training then, Naegi!" Deciding that there was enough dillydallying, Nekomaru was quick to announce just as he cracked his knuckles for some reason that Makoto wasn't able to figure out.

"I don't think I'll be able to keep up with you, though" The Luckster gave his answer with a chuckle, not really wanting to turn down the offer but also knowing that when it came to stuff like this he was no way close to someone like Nekomaru.

"Nonsense!" The older Ultimate seemed to disagree though "Don't sell yourself so short, Naegi!" He continued with a resolute nod right before a grin appeared on his face "I'll even do _it_ to you after we're done, how does that sound?!"

Almost as if it had been trained, his ahoge actually responded by twitching as soon as the word _it_ escaped Nekomaru's lips. Not that the owner of said ahoge was faring any better with the way his whole body tensed just as his mouth almost watered at the thought.

Sure, he would probably be at death's door after doing the regular workout that he knew Nekomaru tended to follow, but considering the reward in hand, how could he even think of refusing the offer?

But before he was able to answer, however…

"I won't let you, coach!"

A sudden cry filled with nothing but spirit reached the Luckster's ears. Without even thinking about it he raised his head towards the source of the sound just as a shadow moved above him, his vision filled with a particular sight that he could have never predicted he would be seeing today.

Grey panties.

"So you managed to follow me here." Nekomaru for his part simply grunted right before blocking the kick that had been aimed right at his face by using his arms. With a quick swat, he pushed the attack away right before he himself jumped backward a bit to gain enough space.

For someone that had just been attacked, The Ultimate Team Manager looked as calm as he could be with his arms simply crossed over his chest as he looked sharply at the woman that had attacked him.

In fact, it was Makoto the one that was fairing the worst, for the brown-haired ahoge boy had his gaze now glued to the floor while his face looked quite close to what a tomato would look like, at least in color.

The most worrisome part though, at least in his opinion since it was something that made his already strong blush somehow even fiercer, was the fact that he was _actually_ able to recognize the person that just appeared by nothing but her undergarments.

"I won't let you take over Makoto! I don't care how good those fingers of yours are!" And sure enough just like how he had guessed it was Owari Akane, the Ultimate Gymnast, the one that stood opposite of her fellow Ultimate from class 77 as she glared with all of her strength towards Nekomaru.

"You dare to interrupt our training session, Akane!" However, if the man was even a bit intimidated by the tan-skinned woman then he definitely didn't show it.

"As if!" The chestnut-haired girl shot back as her hands curled to her side "I know what you were about to do and I can't allow it, coach! It doesn't matter how good _it_ might feel!"

Hearing her words anyone would have assumed that the girl would be exaggerating, after all with the way she talked about _it_ , it made the thing sound as if it was something of catastrophic levels.

But to her, it might as well be, because she knew that if she let someone like Nekomaru have his way with poor Makoto then the younger boy would be nothing but absolute putty into the man's magic hands, _again_!.

She couldn't allow that. Getting some time with her favorite Luckster was already hard enough, so there was no way she would allow Makoto to become truly addicted to _it_. Heck, she could still remember the first time Nekomaru had done _it_ with the ahoge boy.

She could remember it quite clearly because she had not been able to see Makoto for a whole week after that. There was no way she could allow something like that again!

"Hoh? I can see you won't back down from this without a fight, Akane." Nekomaru nodded understandingly. However a look of fierceness was quick to appear on his face just as he pointed at Akane with his finger "However if you dare to retaliate then I won't do _it_ to you as a punishment for what's left of the year!"

"Guh…!" The Ultimate Gymnast actually flinched back at his words, honestly feeling as if the man himself had punched her right in her gut. However, her look of doubt only lasted for less than a second before nothing but sheer determination appeared once more in her dark gray eyes.

Even if the punishment sounded almost unbearable to her ears if the alternative was to lose her favorite ahoge boy to the man in front of her then…

"Bring it, coach!" A battle aura swirled around her as a feral grin formed on her lips.

"I'll beat some sense into you then, Akane!" While for his part there were definitely blue sparks flying around the man's sharp eyes.

Then, almost as if mirroring one another, both Ultimates turned their heads to the side with the obvious intent of quickly regarding their younger friend before the battle started.

"Naegi, I'll finish this off in mere seconds so that we can continue…"

"Makoto, just leave this to me, we can go and play…"

Their loud voices though, became increasingly lower by the second the more they looked at the spot in which certain Luckster was supposed to be standing.

Keyword being _supposed_.

For instead of him, the only thing that stood on that spot was a human-sized inflatable doll that moved lazily with the wind. The doll itself actually had a peculiar design, with the thing easily looking like none other than Naegi Makoto.

The most noticeable aspect of it though, was the stick of paper that was stuck in the doll's face, one that had words that were enough to make both Ultimates tremble.

 _The real one is mine, go play with this one._

The enraged roars that left both students of class 77 could be even heard all the way back to the Principal's office at their school.

* * *

"Is this really necessary?" The doubt in his voice was more than obvious to anyone to hear, although considering his current situation it was a surprise that he wasn't showing any signs of nervousness whatsoever.

He was _really_ getting way too used to being kidnapped by others, although at least he knew who was responsible this time.

"I'm sorry, Naegi-san, but Leader insisted to bring you no matter what." The man that was currently carrying the Luckster on his shoulder replied in a kind tone while making sure that the Ultimate he was carrying was comfortable enough on his shoulders.

In response Makoto could do nothing but release a sigh, knowing that the man with the afro and white clothes that had taken him away right under Nekomaru and Akane's nose was only doing it because of the orders of a certain Ultimate.

He wasn't even concerned about the fact that he wasn't able to see the man's face because of the clown mask that said man was wearing. By now he was used to the clothes of this particular group after all, even if gaining said knowledge had not been a voluntary thing.

Luckily, although it depended on who you asked, it didn't take that long for the pair to reach their destination, with said location being a small park residing on a moderately-sized clearing.

The area itself was covered with sand, with a few things for kids to play with residing there like a slide and even a few bars for others to climb up. It wasn't a particularly big area, but considering how Makoto had yet to see anyone actually coming here to play he supposed it was just fine as it was.

His attention wasn't on any of that though. His hazel eyes had focused on one particular area, which was right at the base of a rather big tree that rested to the side of the clearing.

Why? Because the one he knew was responsible for calling him here, if he could even put it like that, was sitting right there under the shades of the tree's branches with a wooden table in front of him and a pair of chairs on each side of the table.

"Sorry for the delay." The man that had been carrying him so far said with respect once they got close enough to the sitting Ultimate. Without even waiting for a response, the afro man was quick to put Makoto into his own chair with almost professional ease, leaving the two Ultimates sitting in front of one another.

And with a wave of his hand and a smile from the Ultimate in front of Makoto the man that had kidnapped him left immediately, now truly leaving the two Ultimates by themselves under the tree's shadow.

And for his part, the Ultimate Lucky Student really wanted to say something, but he found the words dying on his throat as he tried, and failed of course, of finding the right words in regards of the younger boy in front of him.

Said boy ended up beating him to the punch though.

"Eh? You're getting better at keeping your composure, Naegi-chan." The childish voice that came from the purple-haired Ultimate truly fitted him in Makoto's opinion "I can still remember you almost crying the first time I took you like this."

"I wasn't crying!" The Luckster responded quickly while scratching the back of his head "You just got me by surprise that day, Oma-kun… And you dragged me out of my house while I was taking a shower!"

"Oh yeah, that was a good day." Oma Kokichi, the Ultimate Supreme Leader, said with a laugh as if he was remembering quite a good moment of his life. "You've gotten better at this though…" His purple eyes narrowed the next second as a smirk appeared on his lips. "Could it be that you have finally accepted my offer in your heart?"

Makoto, of course, knew immediately what offer his fellow Ultimate was referring to, making him chuckle awkwardly as he remembered just how insistent Kokichi could be about that topic.

"I'm sorry, Oma-kun, but…"

"Eh? You're still refusing, huh…" With a pout, the purple-haired boy interrupted, a heartbroken look appearing on his face as he looked down. "It hurts every time you reject me, you know?"

"Oma-kun…" Makoto whispered, honestly feeling bad if his words really ended up hurting the younger boy. He was more than ready to apologize once more, but Kokichi's dejected expression ended so fast that for just a second there he honestly thought it had been an illusion.

"Not like it matters anyway," Kokichi said as he smirked with confidence shinning on his gaze "I know sooner or later you will join us, Naegi-chan. I have no doubts about that."

With the way he spoke Makoto had to honestly admire the confidence that the Supreme Leader displayed, even if he doubted that something like that would ever actually happen. Sure, he felt touched that someone like Kokichi actually wanted for him to join his organization, but he just didn't see that one happening in the future.

He was already busy keeping an eye on Junko as it was, let alone all the other things related to Hope's Peak that he still had to handle.

"Don't worry though, I didn't drag you here just to get rejected" The Ultimate Supreme Leader continued quickly just before a glint that Makoto recognized all too well appeared on his eyes "We still have something to settle after all, and I'm sure you remember what that is"

"I think so…" Makoto was quick to answer with a nod while his eyes looked down at the table in front of it. Said table wasn't empty after all, and in fact held the items that told the Luckster just what he would be doing right now.

A pair of decks of cards rested on opposite sides of the tables, ones that the brown-haired teen was definitely familiar by now. He also knew what those being like this meant, and that a battle right now was unavoidable.

It was after all, just as Kokichi had kindly put it the first time they had done this, time to duel.

And while he would have liked to simply go back to his run he didn't see any reason to not simply play with the younger Ultimate for a bit. Kokichi had gone as far as to make one of his subordinates drag him here after all, so maybe just playing one game wouldn't be so bad.

"Let us make things a little bit more interesting this time" Before he was able to touch his deck it was Kokichi who regarded him with a smile and voice that honestly sent a small shiver down his spine.

That look on the Supreme Leader's face always spelled trouble.

And then he took out a silver object from his pants and held it for Makoto to see it clearly, earning a wide-eyed expression from the ahoge boy.

"If it is a Duel then, it _has_ to be a Shadow Ga-geh" A small cry of surprise left Kokichi's mouth before he was able to finish his sentence, while his focus moved from the small knife in his hand to whatever had just hit his neck.

Moving his hand and grabbing the thing that was still stuck in his neck, both Kokichi's and Makoto's eyes were completely focused on the said object which now rested on Kokichi's hand.

It was a dart.

A look of worry immediately appeared on Makoto's face.

In response, Kokichi just chuckled slightly.

And then his head hit the table without a warning while foam gurgled out of his mouth with not even a bit of consciousness showing in his eyes.

"Oma-kun!" Feeling more than a bit alarmed, Makoto was quick to come to the boy's side, although his action only got more gurgling sounds from the passed out Ultimate.

First making sure that the boy still had at least a pulse, Makoto released a calming sigh once it looked like the younger boy had simply passed out, although he still felt more than a little bit worried about the foaming part.

He then quickly looked up at the rattling leaves of the tree above him while a look of suspicion and resignation were quick to appear in his eyes.

He could only blame himself for not seeing this one coming.

"Was that necessary, Ikusaba-san?" He called out with a voice full of reproach, almost like a parent regarding an unruly kid, and while for a moment it looked like he was talking to no one but the air, a sudden figure falling from the tree and landing perfectly a few feet away from him revealed that such was not the case.

"He shouldn't have pulled such a weapon in front of you, Naegi-kun." The freckled face of his classmate, Ikusaba Mukuro, regarded him calmly while her voice came out with a tone like she was explaining the most obvious thing in the world.

Makoto could only sigh and shake his head at her response, knowing that she truly meant good but also being aware of just how truly alarming some of her actions regarding him were.

She was overprotective of him after all, or at least that's how he liked to put it. She apparently had close to zero confidence when it came to the rest of the Ultimates of their school interacting with him, especially alone, to the point that she had taken matter regarding his safety into her own hands.

And by that, he meant apparently following him around for as long as she could just to make sure that no one did anything dangerous to him.

And while once again he truly felt touched by the sentiment, even he knew that what she was doing could pretty much be described as stalking him.

He had known of course, that besides Junko it would be her sister one of the toughest individuals he would have to handle. She had not been one of the Despair Sisters back at his time just for show after all.

He knew that it would be Mukuro the hardest one to take away from Junko's grasp, after all while he had to stop the rest of his friends from falling into Junko's Despair, Mukuro would already be in the center of such a web before he was even able to meet the girl.

But that had not stopped him from trying, because to him Mukuro was another person that he just _had_ to help. It was the same when it came to Junko but at the same time, it was different because in his eyes Ikusaba Mukuro was just another victim of the Fashionista's whims.

They might have been called the Despair Sisters, but he would be an idiot to put Junko and Mukuro at the same level. Even if circumstances were completely different, to him Mukuro was no different from how his senpais had been back in his time: good people that were deceived and manipulated into joining Ultimate Despair.

He would never let that happen, even if it took his life.

And he would like to think that the fact that Mukuro was here instead of following Junko like a lost lamb meant that so far he had done a good enough work on that aspect.

But then again, he really should have expected that when it came to deal with a former Ultimate Despair, nothing would be that simple.

"Even so…" He started slowly, trying to find the best words regarding the subject. He knew how stubborn Mukuro could sometimes be after all, especially when it came to his safety "Oma-kun doesn't really mean any harm, he just likes to fool around like that"

He said although the Ultimate Soldier seemed to not be convinced by his words, something that he mostly blamed to Kokichi's reputation at Hope's Peak. Sure, a lot of his friends regarded him as a dangerous troublemaker, but in his opinion, Kokichi wasn't _that_ bad.

He would definitely apologize to the younger Ultimate as soon as he woke up.

"You're too forgiving." That was Mukuro's simple answer, which just got a tilt of his head from Makoto as a response, for he didn't know if she was saying that as a compliment or not.

Mukuro knew that her words were just an understatement though, after all in her heart Makoto's forgiveness and kindness were both what she loved and disliked the most.

Loved because by now just the act of him giving her that soft smile that she treasured so much was enough to make her heart beat like crazy and her face blush to kingdom come.

And disliked because of how he put himself in unnecessary danger for those that, in her opinion, simply didn't deserve it.

But she also knew that she wouldn't be able to change that part of him, so to her the only other option she had was to protect him to the best of her abilities, even if it killed her.

He had become her light, and there was no one in this world that she would let harm her light.

Not even her sister.

"He's going to be ok…right?" She was taken out of her thoughts by the object of her affection carefully lifting the unconscious Supreme Leader from his chair.

"He should wake up in a few hours," She said, even though it was a lie. The sedative she used was meant for the likes of Sakura, Nekomaru or even that Ultimate Entomologist from class 79th, who had big enough bodies. For someone like Kokichi? Well…

With any luck, he wouldn't miss any of his classes.

"That's a relief," The Luckster said while releasing a breath he didn't even know he was holding. He took the smaller boy into his arms while being as careful as he could be. There was no way he could let Kokichi here alone like this after all, so taking him back to his own dorm room back at Hope's Peak was the least he could do.

But it seemed Mukuro was able to read his thoughts, for the next thing that the black-haired girl did was to take the unconscious Ultimate from his arms without even waiting for him to say anything and throwing him over her shoulder.

"I'll take him back myself, Naegi-kun. Please don't bother yourself with this" She said with a confident nod before turning away from the brown-haired teen, her destination being, of course, Hope's Peak. She knew her light was already busy as it was, so if there was something she didn't want to do it was to add even more annoyances to his bag.

"Ikusaba-san!" He called out to her before she was able to leave though, making the Soldier turn around and regard him with a raised eyebrow.

Her breath got caught in her throat as soon as her eyes met his, and she could already feel the blood going to her cheeks despite her best attempts at keeping her composure.

He was smiling at her after all.

"Make sure he gets back safely, alright?" He said as he gave his classmate a hopeful smile "Please?"

How was she supposed to say no to such a request from him when he smiled like that to her? He was, in her opinion, being more than a little bit unfair.

She ended up just nodding shyly, an action that would have most of those that knew her looking at her as if she had lost her mind, before leaving to complete her objective.

She supposed just leaving the boy at the door of the school was now out of the question.

While for his part Makoto simply kept his gaze on the girl's back right until she disappeared from his sight. Another tired sight ended up leaving his lips while hand moved to scratch the back of his head.

He really had to find a way to tone down Mukuro's actions towards the rest of their fellow Ultimates, the only problem with that being that so far all of his attempts had ended in failure on that aspect.

Well, maybe not a complete failure. At least she wasn't threatening some of them with a knife. That was at least something, right?

Deciding on a course of action for the day, Makoto started running once more, leaving the park rather quickly in the opposite direction Mukuro had left. While his original plan was to jog a bit more before calling it a day, maybe going back to his home now before going to Hope's Peak would be a better alternative.

* * *

Maizono Sayaka was currently a nervous girl.

She wasn't one to feel overly self-conscious to this point, after all, if she wasn't able to endure something like that then she would have never obtained the title of Ultimate Pop Sensation.

But even so, right now she honestly considered going up at the stage with her group far more easy than what she was about to do.

It sounded crazy, yes, but to her, that was the honest truth. What could make such a girl feel that way then? The answer to that question came from the house that she was currently standing in front off.

She was no stranger to this house mind you, in fact not only was she already pretty familiar with it since she had gotten inside more than once already, but she was also on pretty good terms with the one living here.

But even so, deciding to come here as early as she could to cook breakfast for her crush and even his family was still something that made her take deep breaths just to calm herself a bit.

She wasn't a stranger to cooking; she, in fact, liked it quite a lot. The fact that certain Luckster seemed to really like her food just made it even better in her opinion, but comparing that to this was like comparing a pebble to a mountain.

Getting on his family's good grace was something that the Idol truly felt like she needed it, and what better way than this? She had everything she needed in the bag in her hands, and right now the only thing she needed to do was to ring the doorbell.

This wouldn't be the first time she would interact with her Luckster's family of course, but even so, this was important to her. Surprisingly enough for some, it wasn't his parents' approval that had her most worried, but rather his little sister's.

The first time the two had met she had honestly believed that it would be easy to gain her approval, especially considering how the younger girl was apparently a big fan of her. However, she had not taken one simple thing into consideration.

Naegi Komaru was _extremely_ overprotective of her older brother, something that she had learned the bad way.

But even that wouldn't make her falter right now, and so it was with nothing but determination that the blue-haired girl moved her hand to finally announce her presence to the Naegi household by ringing the doorbell.

"Maizono-san?"

And she would have done exactly just that if it wasn't for the very familiar voice that called out to her from behind.

The idol spun on her heels, her blue eyes rapidly focusing on the teen standing by the street right outside the house, with hazel eyes quickly matching blue ones as the two members of class 78 met face to face.

"Naegi-kun?" The girl spoke with obvious surprise in her voice, with her eyes focused on the slightly sweating form of the Ultimate Lucky Student of her class.

"I didn't know you were coming today!" Said Luckster was quick to walk towards the girl just as a refreshed smile plastered itself on his face "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to surprise you…" Sayaka answered softly while fidgeting a bit in her place.

"Eh? A surprise?" He was definitely surprised already, but that sounded like a weird reason to him.

"Yes, you dummy," She remarked once more with a pout this time while lifting the bag in her hands for Makoto to see, getting the teen's questioning glance to move from her eyes to the bag in question.

"I don't think I get it…" A chuckle left his lips while his fingers scratched his cheek "But we should go inside then! Mom will love to see you."

The brown-haired teen then tried to move past his classmate in order to open the door to his house, but a hand on his chest, which of course belonged to the blue-haired idol, stopped him right on his tracks.

"Maizono-san?" He questioned her not only because of her actions but also because of the angry pout and glare she was currently giving him. Such a sight made him increasingly nervous, his mind already going over their short conversation to figure out just in which part he had ended up screwing up to get her angry like this.

"You forgot, didn't you?" The beauty said in a low tone as her eyes narrowed at him "You shouldn't forget stuff like that, _Makoto-kun._ "

And suddenly he understood just what she was referring to, but just the thought of doing what she wanted was enough to make his face go red, although the way that she called him also helped on that regard a bit.

He tried to stutter out an excuse, but that simply got an even stronger glare from the normally happy girl. Already resigning himself to his fate the ahoge boy ended up taking a few calming breaths, although more than a bit of nervousness could still be easily detected in his eyes.

"I didn't forget…" He then swallowed his saliva before giving the girl the most confident look he could give her under such circumstances "S-Sayaka…chan."

He then looked to the other side, not wanting the idol to see his expression full of embarrassment.

As soon as she heard that her pout quickly became a beaming smile as a giggle was quick to escape her lips, her hand finally moving from the Luckster's chest.

"You're really cute like that." She was kind enough to inform him between her giggles, her words simply making Makoto even more flustered than before.

At least he was finally given permission to enter his house!

* * *

"I'm home!"

The first thing that told Makoto that something was different in his house was the smell.

It wasn't bad or anything though, in fact, it was quite the opposite. The rich aroma that reached his nostrils was so good that it almost made his stomach grumble, especially considering how he only had a light snack before going out earlier.

It did not only smell good though but also awfully familiar to the time-traveler, to the point that a sudden suspicion appeared on his mind.

"Is your mom cooking breakfast already?" He wasn't the only that got caught by the smell though, since his fellow Ultimate besides him was quick to ask while the grip on her bag became increasingly tight, a fear of her plan failing already forming itself in her heart.

Maybe she could at least help in the kitchen then.

"Not really…" He whispered as he moved towards the kitchen of the house with Sayaka in tow.

Of course, it didn't take long for them to reach said place, confirming Makoto's hunch perfectly as soon as his eyes landed on the responsible for the smell.

"Welcome back, Makoto." The first one to regard him was his mother though, who was quick to put her cup of tea down on the table before smiling kindly at her son. She was quick to notice the girl behind him though, making her smile become even wider "And you even brought Sayaka-chan! She can join us for breakfast now!"

Makoto simply answered with an absentminded nod, with his eyes still focused on the girl moving in his kitchen with such an ease that you would think she even lived there.

While Sayaka was more vocal about her greeting her eyes ended up following Makoto's gaze, a sense of defeat suddenly washing over her as soon as she recognized just who was preparing breakfast in the Naegi household.

Apparently noticing their stares said person was quick to turn around to regard them with a smile that could only be described as elegant, although with the way her green eyes focused mostly on a certain Luckster it was obvious to see towards who exactly said smile was being aimed at.

"Welcome home, Naegi-senpai." And with such a greeting the silver-haired beauty did a formal bow, one that looked as elegant as it could get, but then again such action was nothing but child's play for someone with the title of Ultimate Maid, Tojo Kirumi.

"Tojo-san…" He whispered before giving his mother a side glance, however with the way his mother simply took a sip of her tea before smiling at him it was obvious that she was more than happy with leaving the silver-haired Ultimate with breakfast duty.

Then again, considering how good he knew Kirumi was at cooking it wasn't like he could really blame her.

"Naegi-kun." The next thing he heard was the voice of the idol behind him, who even went as far as to pull his sleeve slightly just to get his attention, which she gained quite easily.

However, not even Makoto was able to control the shiver that went down his spine as soon as his eyes met the cold expression now residing on Sayaka's face.

"What is the meaning of this?" She asked him in a low, cold whisper, almost like a wife who just found out that her husband was cheating on her.

"Tojo-san sometimes likes to come here and help a bit." He whispered quickly in response "I tried to convince her that she didn't have to but… She really insisted."

Sayaka kept giving the brown-haired teen a cold glance for a few seconds before nodding slightly, apparently finding his words to be acceptable enough even if deep bottom she was practically seething in anger.

Of course, he decided to skip the part in which the reason Kirumi had for helping him like this was because she was now regarding him as her real _Master_. He just had a feeling on the back of his head that saying such a thing would make things go south.

The idol's frosty expression disappeared swiftly as it was replaced by a smile and a nod right before she moved closer to Makoto's mother, giving said teen enough space to release a relieved breath.

He would have regarded the silver-haired member of class 79 next, but considering just how focused she was on her task at hand he felt that distracting her would only make things worse. That and offering her help would only get him banned from the kitchen…again.

"Why don't you go and take a shower first? You're quite sweaty, honey." It was his mom the one that gave him something to do besides simply standing there like an idiot, although with the way the older Naegi was smiling at the idol that had taken a seat beside her, Makoto knew that she mostly just wanted to be alone with the two, probably to dig up some things he did at Hope's Peak.

His mom really liked to know more about that place, especially when it came to his female friends. He had lost count of how many times she had teased him about them.

So with a last nod Makoto moved upstairs, leaving his mother alongside the two Ultimates in the kitchen.

At least nothing else could happen until breakfast, so he would be able to relax a bit with a hot shower.

Suffice to say; he got that one wrong, for as soon as he entered his own room to grab a few things for his bath he came to figure out that, not counting himself, there were _three_ Ultimates currently in the Naegi household.

"Ah…!"

He didn't know what kind of expression he was making right now, but he knew it must have been one that only a very specific set of combined factors could create.

What kind of factors would those be? Well, it wasn't every day that you found Iruma Miu, the Ultimate Inventor, sitting on her knees in your room with one of your shirts on her face and a look of nothing but sheer bliss on adorning her expression.

Said look of bliss vanished almost instantly the moment she heard the door opening, and it simply became an alarmed one the moment her grey eyes made contact with Makoto's hazel ones.

An awkward silence fell on the two, with Makoto simply standing on the doorway of his room while looking down at the younger Ultimate, who still kept his shirt into her hands, although at least she had stopped sniffing it by now.

She was the textbook definition of a deer caught in the headlights of a car, if you asked Makoto at least.

His mouth opened and closed and his mind tried to process just what to say in a situation like this, until one very important question finally formed in his head.

One that funnily enough had nothing to do with what she had been doing before he arrived.

"Iruma-san…" He started slowly, easily noticing how Miu was even shaking by now just as her face turned ghostly white "Did you break into my house again using one of your inventions?"

It sounded like a weird question, one that he never thought he would be asking anyone in his life, however considering their track record he honestly felt compelled to ask the blonde girl such a question.

It wouldn't be the first time she had done such a thing, after all.

"N-no!" She answered back almost immediately while finally lowering his shirt from her nose, although her strong blush was still more than visible "Your mom let me in and told me I could wait here!"

He knew the girl was terrible at telling lies, and this coming from someone that could barely even lie in the first place, so he ended up just sighing in relieve before nodding, his hand once again moving to scratch behind his head almost in instinct by now.

"Well…" He started, knowing that he still had to say something, especially with the looks the younger girl was giving him. He still couldn't figure out how someone as eccentric as Miu could act so shyly out of a sudden.

Miu, on the other hand, was what you could only describe as a nervous mess right now, after all even she knew that being found out sniffing at someone else's dirty clothes, _especially_ by the owner of said clothes, could scare people away.

But what the hell was she supposed to do after his mom told her to wait in his room?! The temptation had been too high! How could someone blame her for this?!

The fear of getting kicked out of the house by the object of her affection no less was enough to make the girl break in a cold sweat just as she played with her hair without even realizing it while still giving the older Ultimate an almost scared look.

"Sorry for interrupting you." Even he blushed at his own words, but by now his own mid just wasn't able to think of anything else to say "I-I'm going to take a shower anyway, so feel free to wait here until breakfast is ready."

He ended up telling her that while deciding to quickly leave the room, already forgetting whatever it was that he had come to get in the first place.

However, the sudden light and smile that appeared on Miu's face was enough to make him even more nervous than before. He didn't know if it was a side-effect of spending too much time with Sayaka, but even he understood just what was crossing the Inventor's head just by looking at her.

And just that thought alone was enough to make even his ears go red.

"I can take a shower by myself, but thank you for the offer, Iruma-san!" He almost shouted, even though the girl in question had not, in fact, offered him anything.

Then again going by how defeated the blonde looked after his words he knew that he had hit the nail on that one.

He honestly felt more worried than relieved about that.

Finally leaving his room and closing the door, Naegi Makoto simply decided to act as if the past 5 minutes simply didn't happen. Was it a coping mechanism that he had developed over his two years in the past? Yes, yes it was. One that became increasingly useful as time went by, to be honest.

Not that he was going to judge Miu or anything. Who was he to do such a thing, anyway? He had no idea what crossed the blonde's head in the first place, and by now he had come to terms that sometimes the only thing he could do was to just accept his friends by who they were, even if calling them weird was sometimes an understatement.

He did make sure to lock the bathroom's door though, just in case.

You never knew, after all, especially considering how he couldn't even say this had been the craziest morning he had this month.

* * *

 **I know I put in the last chapter that it would be about Makoto's walk to Hope's Peak, but I decided to show a glimpse of his free time surrounded by Ultimates first. We are walking to Hope's Peak next chapter however, that is for certain.**

 **I have to admit I never expected for this story to get so much support. I'm honestly amazed by it, and also truly glad that so many of you readers actually seemed to enjoy it.**

 **As some of the reviews pointed out, when I put that 'everyone' there in the summary I truly meant it, and by that, I'm saying that it is not limited to just the members of class 77th, 78th and the V3 characters. Of course, other characters outside of those groups will have their time and shenanigans involving Makoto (our second ahoge boy for example).**

 **First things first though, and that is to show just how messy and crazy Makoto's daily life can get while also a bit of the Ultimate's insight when it comes to the Luckster. Besides that, this does have a plot though, and more about that will be shown once I touch the subject about how Hope boy was able to stop some of the things that Junko would have used for her advantage.**

 **I am also looking for a beta reader that can help me raise the quality of these chapters since I know I make more mistakes than I would like. If someone reading this is interested and you feel like you could help me then fill free about sending me a PM, and if anyone has any questions regarding the fic itself you can also PM me or leave it in a review.**

 **Thank you all for reading this far and for your support, especially those that have fav/followed and reviewed the story. I hope you have enjoyed this one too.**

 **Next Chapter: Is this a battlefield or a school?**


	3. Don't Deal With The Ultimates

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Don't Deal With The Ultimates**

"…what?"

People sometimes gave things for granted.

It was a fact that he knew by heart by now. He was definitely guilty of doing so after all, even if he hadn't realized it until much later.

Peaceful, silent walks were things that he had surprisingly come to miss after a while of not being allowed one of those, normally because of outside interference.

He could be talking with one of his friends while on the road and five minutes later it would turn into a shouting match between two, or sometimes even more, of his friends.

He could be buying some things at a nearby convenience shop just to get whisked away without even realizing it.

But none of that could compare to what walking towards Hope's Peak could sometimes unleash.

He was skeptical of how practical it was for some of the Ultimates to leave the school, go to his house just to then walk back with him to the institution, but any attempts he had of stopping that habit had fallen on deaf ears.

Those that didn't live inside the Academy weren't any better on that aspect, mind you. The fact that some of them lived quite far but still decided to come get him instead of directly going to Hope's Peak was simply overwhelming.

But it was simply another thing that he had learned to handle. Questioning every single thing his friends did would only give him a headache. It was simply part of the course of being an Ultimate, he guessed, something that was normally followed by thoughts of himself probably being the less extravagant out of everyone holding the title of Ultimate at Hope's Peak.

Then again he was a time-traveler, so maybe his days of being your typical run-of-the-mill student had truly ended a long time ago.

Today it had been different though.

No surprise encounters, no weird happenings, no shouting match between Ultimates, _nothing._ His walk had been rather normal, almost to the point of being boring.

Heck, the only thing that had made it fairly interesting was the fact that he had not been walking alone. The Ultimate Maid herself had followed him to the school after all, and he was definitely glad for the soothing company that the younger Ultimate was able to provide.

Sayaka and Miu had not been able to come with them though, mostly because of his mother. Not that they hadn't tried, but it was hard to say no to the woman. No one in the Naegi household was able to do it after all, and as far as he knew not even those with the title of Ultimates were immune to his mother's… _convincing_ smile.

He could only hope that his house would remain intact by the time he got back.

However, he should have seen _this_ coming as soon as nothing had happened. He didn't know if it was to bring some sort of weird balance to the world or something like that, but by now he was really starting to believe it.

Maybe he should start looking more on that whole equivalent exchange thing he had seen in anime, after all, what his eyes were seeing could only be described as the payment he had to give for having a normal walk once in a while.

The other reason he chose to describe it like that was because he couldn't think of any other way to actually explain what his eyes were seeing, and he could only imagine the expression on his face.

Shocked bewilderment could probably describe that one, but then again of all the things he could have imagined seeing in the clearing between Hope's Peak entrance and the door to the main building, this had definitely not been one of them.

Not that the things he could hear were making it any easier to understand either.

"My flames will finish you once and for all, you witch!"

"D-don't underestimate my magic!"

"Show that degenerate male that he's no match for you, Yumeno-san!"

And then the elephant made a loud sound as it raised its trunkaccordingly.

Makoto had to honestly control the urge of cleaning his eyes with his hands just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. He ended up doing it anyway once the elephant slammed its foot on the ground, but even then the mighty animal still stood proudly in its place, right behind one of the many Ultimates that he knew.

Then again, considering the identity of said Ultimate maybe he shouldn't be _this_ surprised.

This was the first time he ever saw Tanaka Gundham, the Ultimate Breeder, handling such a big animal outside of his own Research Lab, but considering his title he guessed it was only natural. Even so, the massive animal behind the Ultimate was still quite the sight.

There were other factors that made the Breeder stand out. Even if you ignored the four hamsters that were resting on different parts of his body, the fact that there was a strange purple light coming from below Gundham, or to be more precise from some sort of circle that had been drawn on that space, only increased the surreal factor that the onlookers were experiencing.

And while curiosity burned inside Makoto's head, his instincts told him to never ask how Gundham managed to make that circle actually light up. Mostly for the sake of his own sanity, he concluded.

That was on the right side of the clearing though. The left side, while definitely less impressive, still raised more than a few questions for the Luckster.

If one side had the Ultimate Breeder and his small group of animals, then the other had a duo of Ultimates, with both of them being younger than Makoto himself, while also belonging to the same class as the silver-haired girl that had followed the Luckster.

The first one that got his attention from the duo was the small red-head of said class, Yumeno Himiko, also better known as the Ultimate Magician. Then again he also knew that if you called her that you would get nothing but a glare back considering how she preferred to go by the title of Ultimate Mage.

Her looks contrasted with the Breeder quite a lot. While Gundham looked as confident as ever, with the elephant behind him and light shining below him giving him an even more intimidating vibe, Himiko herself looked more than a little insecure about what was about to happen if her obvious shaking was any indication.

Even so, the firm determination in her eyes could not be mistaken for anything else.

If one looked like a man ready to face the world and win while the other looked like a scared rabbit that refused to give away her carrot, then the third Ultimate of the group looked like what he could only describe as an excited fan.

He was sure there were even stars in her eyes!

Then again it wasn't particularly rare to see Chabashira Tenko, the Ultimate Aikido Master, in such a state whenever Himiko was involved. It was also honestly a sight that he preferred to the other common alternative that he normally saw, which was the girl glaring at every male she saw in the area.

His hazel eyes kept moving between the two groups, back and forth almost as if he would get the answer if he repeated the action enough times. No such answer ever came however, and the increasing comments of hostility coming from Gundham, alongside the loud cheering of Tenko weren't really helping as much as he would have wanted.

He had a feeling though, that this was his fault somehow. He had no idea how it could be, but he had learned by now to trust that feeling. He doubted he would have survived this long if he hadn't.

He needed answers then, especially since it seemed things were just going to get worse. His own ahoge even twitched slightly every time the massive animal behind Gundham released a sound.

First things first though.

"Tojo-san…" He said slowly while his eyes refused to move, thinking that he would miss something if he even just blinked. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Of course," Befitting of someone with the title of Ultimate Maid, any evidence of surprise was quickly washed away from Kirumi's face as a firm expression appeared instead.

And while he had worded it as nothing but a favor, he was more than aware that the younger Ultimate was probably going to take it as an order. Trying to convince her otherwise would only fall on deaf ears though, that much he also knew for certain.

One step at a time, he convinced himself, and dealing with what was in front of him definitely took priority.

"Could you go and check on Oma-kun? He should be in his room, resting…" Of course he trusted the Ultimate Soldier, and he was more than sure that the girl had dropped the younger boy in his room as he had asked her to do, but even so, he couldn't help but want to make sure he was alright.

Kokichi's current condition was, after all, technically his fault in the first place.

"Very well." And without even asking for a reason Kirumi accepted the request wholeheartedly. It wasn't like she was going to miss this chance in the first place considering just how rare it was to get requests from the brown-haired teen.

"Please be careful in my absence." She followed swiftly, her eyes going to the Ultimates that were looking ready to duke it out before moving once again towards the time-travel, who could only give her a doubtful nod in response.

Of course he would _try_ , but he never knew when his so-called luck would decide to act up.

Finding that answer to be sufficient, Kirumi was quick to move through the clearing with such composure that Makoto sometimes forgot she was the younger one of the two. She didn't even bat an eyelash after moving in front of the trio of Ultimates and the tusked animal, her body disappearing from Makoto's sight as soon as she went through the doors of the massive main building.

"Eh? Tojo-san?"

"Nyeh?"

"Who dares to interrupt?!"

Of course, her presence had not been ignored by the three students still standing in the middle of the courtyard. In fact not only did their gazes focus on the silver-haired girl until she left, but they then moved their gazes towards the spot from where she had moved.

Suffice to say, their eyes landed on a certain Luckster quite quickly.

He could only wave slowly in response, not knowing a better way of greeting them in such a situation just as an awkward smile appeared on his lips.

They, however, were quite more outspoken in their greetings.

"Eh, Naegi-senpai?

"N-Naegi-senpai?!"

"Partner!"

And the elephant followed along with another strong sound from its trunk.

Well, he supposed the issue of getting their attention got fixed by itself. The trio was even moving towards him now, almost as if their previous position had been nothing to feel weird about.

He would have to disagree with that notion.

The first one that reached him was Gundham himself with an obvious smirk plastered on the pale teen's face. Thankfully the elephant had decided to stay in its place, although the fact that Gundham had actually domesticated such an animal like that really brought home just how much he deserved his title.

"Good, now you will be able to watch as I show the witch the consequences of her insolence!" If it wasn't because he knew how Gundham liked to act he would truly think that the older Ultimate was being purposely uninformative just to confuse him even more.

Luckily he understood by now that it was just Gundham being, well, Gundham. It made the fact that he was called something like _partner_ of all things by the Breeder even more significant to him, if he had to be honest.

He didn't know if feeling happy about such a thing was good or not, but even he couldn't deny the small surge of pride that had appeared on his chest the day he had been promoted from Servant to Familiar, as Gundham liked to put it.

He could have lived without his sister teasing him about his new status though.

"Stop calling me that! The only one here that uses dark magic is you!" The next one was Himiko herself, although Tenko was quick to follow her.

"If you annoy Yumeno-san again I'll be sure to throw you this time!" The glare that Tenko sported was easily matched by Gundham however, and if the young man was intimidated by such a threat then he definitely didn't show it.

"Now now," Now truly knowing that if he let things go by it would only end in something going wrong, and in a call from the Headmaster with any luck from his own part, Makoto was quick to move between Gundham and the pair from class 79, his hands raised in a vain attempt to calm the trio of Ultimates. "Why don't you explain it to me first? I'm feeling kind of lost here."

Although he felt like even if they did explain he still wouldn't be able to understand as much as he would like, he still needed to try.

"The witch here," It was Gundham the one that spoke first, arms crossed over his chest as he went from glaring to the younger girls to a softer gaze aimed at the Luckster. "Dared to insult our contract forged in the flames of Hell itself!"

"Naegi-senpai," Himiko followed just as the grab she had on the wand on her hand became tighter, while she used her other hand to readjust the hat that rested on top of her head. "I don't know what kind of foul magic he has cast on you, but I promise to break it somehow. My master trained for moments just like this!"

"You…!"

Keeping a hand on both Himiko's and Gundham's shoulder to make sure they didn't start butting heads or something, Makoto sent a request of help towards the last Ultimate of the group in the form of a questioning gaze.

A huff and a glare was the response he got from the Aikido Master, however it wasn't a reaction that honestly surprised him. He knew how she was around _vile males_ as she liked to put it, and by now he was just glad that the younger girl had stopped throwing him around just for being close to their red-headed friend.

The fact that he could touch Himiko's shoulder without being sent on a one-way ticket to the infirmary already spoke volumes to him in that regard.

"Yumeno-san heard Tanaka-senpai speak something about a life contract between him and you." But even with her apparent dislike for the ahoge-haired boy she still decided to answer, while Makoto paid her as much attention as he could while still keeping the Himiko and Gundham in check.

"And she decided to beak the dark magic with her own, which got Tanaka-senpai angry. He ended up challenging Yumeno-san to a duel," The girl continued, with her glare then becoming fiercer just as she even gritted her teeth in apparent frustration. "The fact that she's willing to go this far for someone like you…gah!"

"You're being too nosy again, Tenko" It was Himiko herself the one that beat him to the punch when it came to answering the girl's sudden outburst, and if the tired sigh that the red-head released was any indication she really wasn't fond of such actions coming from the Aikido Master.

But for his part Makoto just felt glad that he sort of, kind of understood what was going on, albeit barely. Sure, he knew how over the top Gundham could be, but he could have never imagined that it would be Himiko of all people that would follow him up in that regard.

She wasn't the most…motivated of his friends, after all, but then again he also knew how sensitive the subject of _magic_ could be for her, especially considering what she believed had happened to her master.

And he just didn't have the heart to try and convince her otherwise when it came to that. Besides even if the situation itself was as weird as it could get, just the fact that she had gone out of his way to interact with someone outside of her class could only be considered good in his opinion.

Now he would just have to find a way to stop them from actually having a duel, if he could even call it that, and maybe patch things up so that they could be friends! Sure, that last one was a stretch, even he knew that, but he didn't lose anything by trying, right?

There was still one remaining question plaguing his mind though.

"Tanaka-senpai," The brown-haired teen regarded the pale Ultimate with a questioning glance. "What about the elephant?"

"Through our connection, Belphegor knew about my confrontation today," The Ultimate Breeder explained as if it was a normal occurrence, however going by the looks he was receiving from Tenko and even Himiko they were just as lost as anyone would be. "Of course I was more than ready to face my enemy with only the power of my Four Devas of Destruction by my side, but I couldn't deny the earnest request of a servant of mine!"

It took the Ultimate Lucky Student just a second to understand that the elephant's name was, in fact, Belphegor.

'One step at a time, Makoto, one step at a time.' He released a sigh while having such thoughts, his eyes then moving towards the smallest Ultimate while a small smile appeared on his lips.

"Yumeno-san, I appreciate that you wanted to help," He started in a kind tone, his words simply getting the Ultimate Magician to fidget a bit on her spot. "But I can assure that Tanaka-senpai meant nothing bad with what he said. It's really not what you think it is…"

"B-but!" The girl was about to respond, but she wasn't the only one. Gundham himself looked more than ready to voice his thoughts, but a squeeze on the shoulder from the brown-haired teen was enough to stop him just as he moved his eyes from the younger to the older Ultimate.

"Tanaka-senpai, I understand that her words might have offended you, but please let me handle this by myself." The Breeder himself still didn't look convinced, but knowing him by now Makoto knew exactly what to say in this situation.

"Isn't it a Familiar's job to help his Master? If you don't let me handle this then even my pride as your friend will be hurt!"

It was almost as if a lightning bolt had struck Gundham with the way he even gave a step back while his face showed nothing but shock. He even trembled just a bit before burying his face in his scarf.

"Very well, I understand…"

"Thank you." And the honest and grateful smile Gundham received from the Luckster only made his blush of embarrassment a bit stronger. Luckily enough for him, his scarf hid that fact from the world around him.

Moving his focus once again to the two younger Ultimates on the other side, although by the looks of it they had not liked being ignored by him even if it had been for just a moment.

Well, Himiko looked a bit angry, while Tenko just looked mostly disgusted.

"Makoto-dono!"

The looks on their faces actually became somehow worse as soon as the high-pitched scream filled their ears. Even Gundham could only look towards the source of the noise with nothing but obvious annoyance, although the only expression present on Makoto's face was one of surprise.

"Yamada-kun?" The last name of the one responsible for the yell left his lips without even realizing it.

Truly, seeing the Ultimate Doujin Author actually running from the door of the building towards them as if his life depended on it, could be quite the experience that, at least to Makoto, meant that something important must have happened.

He was proven true as soon as Hifumi finally reached the group.

"M-Makoto-dono," The glass-wearing Ultimate wheezed out tiredly before moving behind the Luckster and pushing him forcefully to the front, catching Makoto by surprise. "The Headmaster is looking for you, we need to make haste!"

"W-wait, Yamada-kun! The Headmaster?" Makoto tried to voice his confusion while a frown appeared on his brow. He hadn't even entered the building yet and he was already being called?! Even for him, this had to be a new record.

While for their part the words of protests that had formed in both Gundham's and Himiko's lips died as soon as the Principal of Hope's Peak Academy was brought into the subject. Not even they could make Makoto ignore a call from the man himself that, much they knew.

"I'm sorry, everyone!" Makoto managed to call out while still being pushed by the Doujin Author, honest regret sipping in his voice. "I'll make it up to you, I promise!"

And he almost regretted saying those words as soon as he did, after all even after gaining some distance he was still able to detect a familiar glint appearing on both the Magician's and Breeder's eyes, something that made a small shiver go down his spine.

And why was even Tenko giving him such a conflicted glance?!

Maybe he really was throwing out way too many promises left and right.

The last thing he heard before opening the doors to Hope's Peak south andmain building was a last, loud sound coming from Belphegor of all beings, one that could only be translated as a goodbye.

* * *

It took him exactly five minutes to finally bring it out.

"The Headmaster didn't call me, did he? Yamada-kun?"

"Eh…? Eh!"

His casual way of revealing the truth ended up catching the overweight Ultimate by absolute surprise, to the point of almost choking on air just as the two stopped their journey through the halls of Hope's Peak Academy.

"So I was right." The Luckster continued, although if he was upset by being lied to he didn't show it at all.

"H-How did you know, Makoto-dono?" Not even trying to hide it by now Hifumi raised a shaky finger towards the smaller teen. "Could it be that…your rank as an Esper has finally increased from level 0?!"

"I don't think that's even possible." While scratching his cheek and chuckling a bit, Makoto continued in a friendly tone, his finger then pointing behind him. "It's just that the Headmaster's office is in the opposite direction."

And if there was something that the Ultimate Lucky Student of class 78 knew, it was that the older Kirigiri was at his office around this time of the day.

"I see…Sorry for lying to you, Makoto-dono." The regret in Hifumi's voice was more than obvious for the time-traveler, but a wave from his hand told the artist that his classmate was far from angry at him.

"If you wanted my help with something you just had to ask, Yamada-kun." Makoto wasn't one to get angry for stuff like this, especially considering how he was hiding stuff from pretty much everyone he knew. He had learned to deal with the guilt of that aspect already, mostly by convincing himself that it was a necessary thing.

"I know that, but…" Hifumi for his part seemed to struggle with his words to the point that he even broke out in a cold sweat, causing Makoto to start worrying about his classmate. There was obviously more to it than just a lie, and such a suspicion was proved correct by Hifumi's next outburst.

"I'm sorry but _she_ insisted I had to do anything necessary to bring you along!" And with no other words, the Ultimate Doujin Author simply kept pushing Makoto through the halls, not even waiting for an answer.

An awkward smile made its way into Makoto's lips just as he started putting two and two together. Considering just how scared out of his wits Hifumi looked, combined by the route they were taking right now there was only one place they could be going to if he had to take a guess.

Hope's Peak Academy was certainly a massive place, that much no one could deny. Even just the massive building they currently found themselves in was just one part of the whole institution, although by now he had gotten quite used to traversing through the halls of the school.

If he was glad about something, though, it had to be the fact that he didn't have to walk through the exact same halls as those of the old school building.

He had missed a lot of things, but being trapped in those walls was not one of them. Just looking at the building was enough to make him shiver, and he could swear he could still hear that same deranged laugh belonging to a certain bear just whenever his eyes even looked at that damn place.

Compared to that, the new building they were currently walking through was almost like a second home to him by now. Not only was the whole thing extremely big, but it held so many things that he still found it hard to believe that it was just one building.

From the classrooms to the dormitories to even the headmaster's office at the top floor. Others aspects of the building went from some more common things that a high school had, like a cafeteria, nurse's office and school store among others, to some other very specific rooms that almost looked as if they were from another world.

They were, as those affiliated with Hope's Peak liked to call them, Research Labs made so that the Ultimates could keep developing their own respective talents to the best of their abilities.

And while most of them were located in different floors or even completely different buildings beside this one, with the route they were currently taking Makoto was getting surer by the second that he knew where Hifumi was going to drop him off.

And sure enough, once again his prediction was proven correct once they stopped in front of a black door, which by now Makoto knew very well. An almost timid knock on the door from Hifumi's part even confirmed the identity of the girl he had mentioned before.

And to be completely honest, he couldn't blame Hifumi for shaking like a leaf.

"Come in." It was a melodious voice, soft and mysterious to the ear that answered back to them. Makoto gave another look to Hifumi, who was pretty much urging him to answer back with exaggerated movements of his hands.

And with a shrug, he did so by opening the door slowly right before first sticking his head in with a curiosity-filled expression, although a small, almost nervous smile sure appeared on his lips as soon as his eyes focused on the middle of the room.

"I'm glad you were able to join me, Naegi-kun."

For there she was, the one tilted as Queen of Liars in the underworld, while also sporting the title of Ultimate Gambler here in Hope's Peak. Celestia Ludenberg was sitting by herself in a small table right in the middle of the room, her red eyes showing nothing but barely concealed amusement while the corner of her lips moved slightly upwards.

It didn't matter how many times he was in rooms like this, he still found it amazing just how oddly fitting the place was to not only Celestia's talent but even to her own personal style.

From the outright Victorian feeling that the room left off to the multiple tables filling the room, each with the obvious objective of being used for particular types of games, Makoto could truly say that this room was meant for one Celestia Ludenberg and no one else.

"Please, join me." The girl continued in a smooth tone while signaling to the chair on the opposite side of the small table with her free hand since the other was holding a small cup filled with what he could only guess was tea. "You're always welcome inside this walls, after all."

It sounded like just a friendly saying, but to him he knew that it meant a lot more. Celeste was kind of overprotective of the room after all; to the point that only those that she found worthy of her standards were able to set a foot inside, at least without angering the Gambler.

And as far as he was aware, ignoring himself, only two others had gained that privilege.

Funnily enough, he had walked to the school with one of them just earlier today.

He entered the room slowly while a small feeling of apprehension wormed its way into his heart. It wasn't like he was scared of the girl or anything, but even he couldn't ignore the feeling of being caught in the spider's web just by walking into Celestia's territory.

It was only once he reached the chair that he realized he had not been followed by the one that had brought him here in the first place. He turned his head around to regard the Ultimate Doujin Author, but the only thing he found was a closed door looking back at him.

"Don't let yourself worry about meaningless things; Naegi-kun." Almost as if reading his mind the black-haired girl was quick to speak. "Yamada-kun is just going to… walk a few laps around the school."

"I see…" He could only answer with that just as he took a seat, his hand unconsciously moving to scratch the back of his head. "I think you should treat him a bit more fairly, Celes-san. I know Yamada-kun can be… strange sometimes but he only means well."

"I'm afraid to say this, Naegi-kun," The girl shot back easily, a small glint of displeasure appearing on her red eyes. "But by now I believe that Yamada-kun enjoys being treated harshly far more than what you would call normal."

Chuckling awkwardly in response, there wasn't much Makoto could say about that. Sure, defending his friend came to the forefront of his mind, but even he couldn't deny such a thing with the way Hifumi acted around Celestia.

"But like I said, you don't need to worry about trivial matters here, Naegi-kun," Celestia continued just as took a sip of her drink, a content sigh leaving her lips right after that. "Especially when we have more important matters to attend to."

"We do?" With confusion, more than obvious in both his voice and face, Makoto could only tilt his head to the side. Sure, he had been wondering why Celestia had called him here, even going as far as to make Hifumi lie just to get him, but he couldn't remember anything important that he had to discuss with the girl in front of him.

"Of course we do." She smiled sweetly at him, almost _too_ sweetly if he had to be honest, and her action was followed by her removing something from under the table and putting it on it for Makoto to see.

And sure enough now he understood just what she meant, and if his expression wasn't enough to tell anyone seeing just how nervous he was, then his ahoge twitching certainly did.

People really wanted to play card games with him today, didn't they?

However, unlike with a certain Ultimate Supreme Leader whose games were inoffensive, most of the time at least, he knew that playing with someone like Celeste meant a lot more than just getting your ass handed back to you.

"I'm sure you will have no issues with our…usual agreement?" The pale girl continued just as her hands moved swiftly through the cards, almost as if the act of shuffling them was second nature to her by now.

Each movement of her hands just made Makoto more nervous though, after all he certainly knew what she meant by _usual agreement_.

If there was one thing that he knew he couldn't handle properly, it was how to say no to people. He simply found it way too hard, one of the reasons for some like Byakuya to call him a pushover, he guessed.

In his defense though, his own dad could never say no to neither his mom nor his little sister, so maybe it ran in the guys' side of the family?

It was because of his inability to deny even the craziest things from his friends that he sometimes found himself facing someone like Celestia this way, all so that she could conquest what she apparently considered her greatest challenge to date.

Which just so happened to be him, according to her own words.

Maybe accepting to becoming her personal _knight_ , as she liked to put it, if she managed to beat him in any one on one game had not been the best idea in retrospective, but outright refusing her had just been impossible!

Although by now the Luckster knew that this had become mostly a matter of pride for the Ultimate Gambler, after all even after a year of studying together the black-haired girl was still unable to beat him in, well, _anything_.

Not for a lack of trying, mind you.

And definitely not because he was so good that he was able to fend her off.

No, but the reason was rather simple in the end.

After all, there was a reason he held the title of Ultimate Lucky Student. Sure, said luck was as unpredictable as it could get, and he knew for certain it was not near the same level as certain older Ultimate Lucky Student, but when it came to matters like these his luck actually never failed him.

Because in the year he had been Celeste's classmate, not once had they been able to actually finish a game before something interrupted them.

Sometimes, or rather most of the time, it was one of his friends the one that did it, either by simply dragging him somewhere without even waiting for the game to finish or by messing with it so much that continuing was out of the question.

So by now, it wasn't a matter of _if_ , but rather one of _when_.

And this time around, said when just so happened to be right at the moment Celestia finished shuffling the cards.

For as soon as she did, the door of the Research Lab was thrown open with incredible force, more than enough to announce to the two Ultimates inside about the presence of a newcomer.

The first thing Makoto saw since he was standing with his back to the door, was Celestia suddenly raising from her chair with a look of annoyance that she didn't even try to hide. Considering how much he knew of the girl, it certainly showed just how unhappy she was with the sudden invasion of her sanctuary.

The next thing he did was to turn around his head while still sitting to look properly at whoever had decided to enter the spider's web, with his eyes involuntarily widening as soon as he caught the site of the intruder.

It was the second pair of red eyes he saw in the last ten minutes, however, this time they were present in a face that showed nothing but seriousness while being hidden behind glasses.

He was used to imposing presences, but he had to admit that with the way those eyes narrowed, Pekoyama Peko, the Ultimate Swordswoman, could certainly be a scary sight for those that didn't know her properly.

The fact that you could see her sword's sheath tucked into her back just made her stand out even more, and Makoto could only be glad to not be the one who was being pierced by Peko's glare.

That honor belonged exclusively to Celestia herself.

After all, while Makoto was busy looking at the silver-haired young woman, both Peko and Celeste were having what could only be described as a staring match, with red meeting red just as the two refused to back down or even blink.

They didn't say a word to each other, for there was no need to. Celeste was already more than clearly aware of Peko's intentions, and the silver-haired Ultimate was not even going to bother to hide them or make an excuse.

She was on a mission, and she wasn't going to fail.

Celeste's eyes narrowed as soon as she saw Peko's hand twitch just a bit. She sent the older Ultimate one last warning glance, almost as if daring her to do what she wanted in her presence and on her own territory no less.

However, Peko was one to not care for such things, after all she wouldn't have survived this long if she had.

So with a movement almost too fast for the human eye to see Peko finally acted.

And then something that could only be described as a strangled squeak left Makoto's lips just as Celeste's eyes widened at the woman's sheer audacity.

She was, after all, now carrying Makoto on her arms just like how a groom would carry his wife after the wedding.

And with one last respectful nod, although the Ultimate Gambler found it more mocking than anything else, Peko was gone from the room in a flash almost as fast as she had appeared, with a blushing Makoto in her arms.

Everything happened in less than a minute, with the result being a very displeased Celeste alone in the room, her eyes still focused on the open door and on the hallway that she could see from there, although by now she couldn't even see the Swordswoman's back.

Taking a deep, slow breath just for then to release it just as slowly, Celeste's face showed no emotion whatsoever, her red eyes moving slowly from looking at the empty hall to the lower side of the still open door.

It was there that she could see a pointy strand of hair almost quivering.

"Yamada-kun." She called in an emotionless tone with her hands folded in her lap, her words getting a shaky response in the form of the owner of said strand of hair slowly sticking his head into the room.

"Y-yes, Celestia-sama?" The fear in Hifumi's voice could not be mistaken for anything else, but if Celeste cared even a bit about it she certainly didn't show it.

"Did you…" She continued as slowly as ever, each word making Hifumi sweat with even more intensity. "Reveal to Pekoyama-senpai that Naegi-kun was here with me?"

As soon as he heard those words Hifumi's mouth flapped just like a fish, but no words left him except an almost pitiful grunt, one that told Celestia everything she needed to know.

In his defense though, while Celestia's cold look was enough to make his blood freeze, the threat of a sword to his neck was still scarier!

"Get in and close the door." The commanding tone that the red-eyed girl used only made worse to Hifumi, could only nod timidly in response.

"W-what are y-you going to d-do, Celestia-sama?" He still had enough sense to ask such a question though, but considering the response he got maybe it would have been better if he had not asked her that.

"I'm going to rip it off, of course." The nonchalant tone she used only made it worse.

"R-rip what o-off?"

" _Everything._ "

The frightened screams that left the Research Lab could be heard all the way to the Principal's office.

* * *

"P-Pekoyama-senpai…this is embarrassing."

"Don't worry, Naegi-kun, I'm not embarrassed at all."

"T-that's not what I meant!"

Any complains that he had about the fact that he was being carried by his silver-haired senpai simply fell on deaf ears.

In fact his own embarrassment, which the reddening of his cheeks clearly showed, was the only thing that stopped him from being amazed by the speed with which the Ultimate Swordswoman moved through the hallways of Hope's Peak Academy.

Her agility could truly be denied by no one, although the Luckster would have certainly preferred to not experience such a thing under his current circumstances.

It spoke volumes about the young woman's abilities once they found themselves on the second floor of the building in such a small amount of time that Makoto wasn't even able to register it.

He only caught on the fact that they had arrived on the dorm rooms area once Peko herself had actually stopped her mad dash through the building, with the feeling of relief Makoto had for that only being rivaled by how dizzy he was at the moment.

At least he was now allowed to stand by himself, although the amount of carefulness his senpai showed to him while putting him down didn't exactly help his already nervous state.

"Uhm, Pekoyama-senpai?" He asked with uncertainty, honestly not knowing just what had incited such a behavior from the girl. Sure, most of the time his friends didn't have a particular reason besides just wanting to spend time with him, but he honestly would like to believe that the red-eyed young woman had to have a reason for what he was sure some would consider kidnapping.

His questions, however, were slightly answered once his gaze caught on the nameplate attached to the door that they were both standing in front of.

He wasn't surprised at all by the name the door displayed, even if it wasn't Peko's name in the first place. Having a feeling that his answers would come if he was patient enough, Makoto decided to simply stay in silence while Peko knocked on the door in a careful way, almost as if following a specific pattern or rhythm.

Knowing who was probably waiting for them at the other side of the door, Makoto wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

"Get in."

Unlike with Celeste before, this voice came out in a harsh, authoritarian tone, one that could simply not be ignored even if you tried.

If it wasn't because he knew who that voice belonged to, Makoto was sure he would have gotten a bit nervous by now.

Without waiting for anything else, Peko was quick to open the door and with a wave of her hand she instructed the time-traveler to enter first, something that he did with an understanding nod of his head.

"Took you long enough, I was about to go get you myself."

And sure enough, just like how the nameplate had indicated it the one waiting inside was none other than Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko, the Ultimate Yakuza, whose voice was followed by the sound of the door behind Makoto closing, with the one responsible of that, Peko herself, then moving swiftly to take her place right to the blonde's right.

And for his own part Makoto had to control the urge to simply look around in curiosity, after all it didn't matter how many times he entered in a room such like this, he was still amazed by how much stuff some of his friends had in their room.

He knew it would be rude though, and considering what he knew about Fuyuhiko's short temper the last thing he wanted to do was to anger him. He made sure to keep his eyes focused on his front, right where the Ultimate Yakuza sat behind a pretty big wooden desk.

The room itself was big enough so that something like that didn't really eat that much space. As far as he knew every room looked pretty much the same, besides whatever the owner of said room decided to bring along, alongside being equipped with the same bed and bathroom.

He had his own room somewhere on the 2nd floor too, but he had never actually used it since he lived with his parents. The place was always ready for him to use it though, or at least that's what the older Kirigiri of the school had told him a while ago.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Take a seat, Makoto." With a movement of his head, the smaller Ultimate pointed at the chair resting on the opposite of the desk. Having a weird sense of déjà vu, the Luckster decided to simply do as he was told, while also wondering why he had been dragged here in such a way.

"Kuzuryu-senpai…" He started with obvious doubt while his questioning glance moved between the Yakuza to the Swordswoman. "Did something happen?"

"First, Fuyuhiko is fine, how many times do I have to tell you that?" The golden-eyed Ultimate growled out slightly, almost as if already used to such a start of the conversation. "Second, I just need a moment of your time, you're free to leave after we're done."

That answer made him release a sigh of relief, his shoulders slumping now that he knew nothing was wrong. Maybe he was being too paranoid sometimes, but he just couldn't help it.

Still wondering what his friend wanted, Makoto watched silently as the older Ultimate received what looked like a set of papers from Peko herself. Flipping through the information in his hands, Fuyuhiko simply nodded in acceptance as he made sure that everything was in order.

He then handed the papers to a clueless Makoto, who could only receive them with a face of confusion. He grabbed them carefully, but as soon as the papers went from the blonde's hand to his own he was also offered with a pen from Fuyuhiko, something that he also accepted, albeit with doubt.

"I just need you to sign that, easy enough if you ask me." The Ultimate Yakuza explained stoically, almost as if it really didn't matter at all, and in any other situation, Makoto would have probably believed such a thing.

However, there was _something_ in not only Fuyuhiko's but also Peko's eyes that told him something was amiss. Maybe he could call it his survival instinct, fitting enough considering he felt like a piece of meat that was being watched by a pair of lions.

"And…what am I signing exactly?" He asked as he read through the papers in his hand, trying to find an answer to his own question.

Said answer ended up coming from the Yakuza himself, who simply waved his hand lazily in front of him, almost as if bored.

"Nothing much, really," He said while tapping the desk with his fingers. "Just a marriage contract between you and my sister."

And just with those words alone, Makoto's expression froze into a shaky smile, with his eyes that had been moving through the papers now being pretty much paralyzed, and even a bead of cold sweat ended up dripping from his forehead.

Surely, he heard that one wrong…right?

"Sorry, could you repeat that one again?" With a smile frozen on his lips he asked once again, thinking that his hearing was starting to go bad or something like that.

"What? Did I stutter?" Slight annoyance slipped through Fuyuhiko's voice before he released a calming sigh. "Like I said, it's a marriage contract between you and my little sister. She already signed it and everything. We only really need your signature now."

Now knowing that he had not, in fact, heard wrong Makoto could only nod in understanding while smiling, his eyes moving from the paper to Fuyuhiko to Peko and then back again in a weird triangle fashion.

It didn't take long for his brain to finally catch up with what was happening.

And as soon as that happened he honestly had to control every nerve in his hand to not just throw the papers as far away as he could, almost as if just touching them would make him catch on fire.

What he was not able to stop though, was the sputtering mess that his mouth released as he tried, and failed, to form a coherent answer to the older Ultimate's words.

What the hell did he mean by _marriage_?!

"What the fuck got you that worked up?" Fuyuhiko said with a frown, not getting just why his younger friend was doing his best attempt at imitating a fish. A flash of understanding appeared in his eyes just a second later though, followed by a nod from his head. "If you're worried about the money for the wedding then don't, I'll handle that personally."

'That's not the issue here!' Makoto screamed in his head, now wanting to know just what kind of logic the Yakuza was using.

His right eye was almost twitching just at the incredulity of the situation.

He decided to ignore the part in which the younger Kuzuryu had already signed it if her brother's words were true. One step at a time, he told himself if he wanted to fix this, one step at a time.

But for his part, the Ultimate Yakuza simply saw this as the best plan he ever came up with. Not only was it as simple as it could get, but everyone gained something from it!

His sister would get the guy she wanted and stop pestering him about bringing the ahoge-haired boy to their house each day since, obviously, Makoto would be moving in with them after the wedding.

He could reward Peko's loyalty since now she would be able to play with Makoto as much as she wanted.

While he himself would finally have Makoto as a part of the clan and as a brother in everything but blood.

And Makoto would even get to marry the best little sister that anyone could ask for.

Truly, a perfect idea, that much no one could deny.

He could even feel Peko behind him nodding confidently, almost as if she was reading his mind.

Heck, they could even invite all the other idiots studying at this school if they felt like it.

Now if only Makoto stopped acting like an idiot and signed the damn thing.

Of course, the reason said Luckster had not signed the piece of paper was because of the small breakdown his mind was having as soon as the word marriage had popped out of Fuyuhiko's mouth.

He was only 17 for heaven's sake!... Well technically he was 24, just not in body, but that was not the point!

He needed a way to get out of this situation _without_ insulting the Yakuza in front of him. Something told him that just rejecting the offer would end badly for him, even if Fuyuhiko was his friend.

Did he feel flattered by the offer? Sure, but by now he was truly starting to question the common sense some of his friends have.

Not knowing what to say though, at least not without making the blonde angry, one Naegi Makoto simply found himself praying to anyone that could hear him out there, even his own so-called luck.

If there was a moment to validate his title as an Ultimate, then it was certainly this one.

Heck, he would even accept it if Junko herself appeared out of nowhere and whisked him away to who knows where right now!

…No, wait, maybe not that, he wasn't _that_ desperate yet. Maybe in five minutes though, if the increasingly impatient looks he was getting from the Yakuza worked as any indication.

Said frustrated look though, ended up moving from him to the door behind him once the sound of someone knocking at the door was heard by everyone in the room.

"Get lost, we're busy here!" Fuyuhiko pretty much growled out to whoever was standing behind the door, truly swearing inside that if it was someone from his class, or any class for that matter, just wanting to play idiot with his future brother-in-law he would get them killed on the spot.

His warning tone seemed to be ignored though, since the sound of a fist hitting the door could be heard once again.

With a small snarl and a movement of his hand, the Yakuza send the Swordswoman to his side to check who dared to interrupt them, while Makoto himself could only release a shaky breath as he both thanked, and prayed for whoever was on the other side of that door.

Then again, once Peko opened said door with a glare firmly set on her face, the surprise on the faces of the 3 Ultimates inside could not be hidden even if they tried.

"Headmaster?" It was Makoto the one that spoke first in a whisper, now not knowing if to feel relieved that someone had interrupted the whole thing or worried that the headmaster himself had decided to come here.

"Headmaster Kirigiri," Even Fuyuhiko showed respect in his voice and actions by quickly standing up, with Peko herself giving a nod of respect to the man before moving to the side to allow him entrance to the room. "What brings you here?"

"Don't worry," Kirigiri Jin spoke in a calm voice, with a small smile present on his lips as he moved his body further into the room. "I just came here to get Makoto-kun. There are some things we need to discuss, you see."

"I…see." The blonde Ultimate seemed to struggle with his words. After all, the last thing he wanted was for Makoto to leave without signing the papers first, but it wasn't like he could just go and refuse the headmaster. He didn't even have to ask how the older man knew Makoto would be here. After all, everyone knew that if something happened inside the walls of Hope's Peak Academy, it would be Kirigiri Jin who knew about it first.

"Let us take our leave then, Makoto-kun. You can spend time with your friends after we're done." And with no other words and a small nudge on Makoto's shoulder, the man himself was quick to leave the room with a last, firm nod, leaving a Makoto, who was still trying to figure out what just happened, scrambling to follow the man.

"Kuzu-, I mean, Fuyuhiko-kun," The Luckster backpedaled as soon as he saw the glare of the blonde. "Can we… Can we talk about this later? I mean…" The last thing he wanted to do was to leave such a crazy thing unattended, but he did need time to find what to even say in the first place.

"Sure, whatever," The Yakuza answered as he looked with frustration at the papers left on his desk right before picking them up. "Sooner or later I'll get your signature here anyway."

Ignoring the shiver that went down his spine at the confident tone Fuyuhiko used, Makoto gave a slight bow to both him and the red-eyed Ultimate Swordswoman that had returned to Kuzuryu's side by now before exiting the room and closing the door behind him, leaving the two Ultimates of class 77 by themselves.

"Tch." The Yakuza wasn't able to hide his annoyance and clicked his tongue before falling into his seat once more with one of his hands rubbing on his face as his gaze made a hole on the door of his room.

That is until a sudden frown of confusion appeared on his brow.

"Hey, Peko…" He said in a low tone while blinking owlishly at the door.

"Yes, Young Master?" The young woman in question answered swiftly, with her own eyes also focused on the closed door.

"Is it just me or…" Licking his lips while trying to find the correct words, the Yakuza simply kept looking at the door. "Did the headmaster gain a few pounds…?"

A moment of silence fell on the two after his question, almost as if Peko didn't know what to answer, but her calm voice was quick to fill the golden-eyed Ultimate's ears.

"I think it's more than just a few, Young Master…"

"I see…"

It would take them weeks to figure out exactly what had happened that day.

And once they did a certain classmate of theirs would be, without question, added to their personal blacklist.

* * *

"Is there something wrong, Makoto-kun?" The Kirigiri to his side asked him with a small frown, noticing just how quiet the Luckster had been ever since they left the room.

"No, just…" He answered with a shake of his head, his brown eyes then looking up at the purple eyes of the headmaster.

His next question brought the two of them to a sudden stop.

"What's the password?"

A weird, tense silence fell on the two, with their gazes locked onto one another and no one but them on the empty hallway of the school, with doors leading to different classroom surrounding them.

The raised eyebrow Jin gave the brown-haired Ultimate was met with a serious stare, one that made the man release a quiet sigh before opening his mouth to answer.

"Kirigiri Kyoko." The dark purple-haired man responded with confidence, however instead of the nod of acceptance he had expected from Makoto the only thing he got was an indulgent smile.

"I thought you had decided to stop pretending to be others." Those words struck deep into the so-called headmaster, whose eyes widened in surprise for just a second before a sad, understanding smile appeared on his face.

"So I wasn't able to fool you, huh?" He whispered in a soft tone. "I guess it would be too much if I asked what the real password is? Even if I don't mind much if it is you, it still hurts my pride a bit to be found out so easily."

"Sorry, I promised not to tell." The Ultimate Lucky Student answered with a kind tone right before patting the older man's back. "And you _did_ fool me, that's why we have a password in the first place…But why do this though?" He ended with a frown, gaining a small chuckle from the Ultimate to his side.

"I saw Pekoyama-san dragging you and I just thought you could use some help." If someone knew how over the top the students of class 77 were, then it was definitely him, after all wasn't he one of the students in that same classroom? He was a man with a title just like them after all, the one sporting the title of Ultimate Imposter.

"You were right about that one, to be honest…Thank you for that." Makoto said with honest gratitude dripping from his words. While he did feel slightly bad from ditching the Ultimate Yakuza and Swordswoman, he knew it was a necessity right now.

Surely this was all a misunderstanding that he would be able to fix if talked things properly, right? It wasn't like Fuyuhiko's little sister _actually_ wanted to marry him in the first place.

…Right?

With a shake of his head, the time-traveler simply decided to leave those worries for the Makoto of the future and focus on his friend by his side. He was more than grateful towards the Ultimate Imposter for helping him, but even he knew that pretending to be Kirigiri Jin could bring a lot of problematic issues.

That was the reason the real Headmaster and he even had a password in the first place. You never knew who could be listening after all, and the last thing they wanted was for some of the more… _sensitive_ information to be leaked out.

Luckily for him, it seemed that not even someone like the Ultimate Imposter knew about the password. The older Ultimate had done a good guess though, since that had been one of the options the real headmaster had offered as the password a long time ago.

He could only imagine the reaction a certain Ultimate Detective would have if she knew that.

Fortunately, the only way someone would know the real password would be if that person knew him from the future.

So suffice to say, no one besides Kirigiri Jin himself and him should be able to figure that one out.

But even if that was the case, Makoto still knew that imitating the Headmaster could be a troublesome ordeal, not because of the man himself, after all as long as it was done for the sake of an Ultimate's talent he doubted the man would care, but rather because…

"Ah, Headmaster!"

"Headmaster Kirigiri is here?!"

"Please take a look at this, Headmaster!"

"Headmaster, about the proposal…"

And sure enough, just like how Makoto had feared as soon as one of the teachers caught a glimpse of the older Kirigiri, or rather the older Ultimate disguised as the man, he was swarmed by hungry-looking members of the Hope's Peak staff.

Getting a private meeting with the Headmaster was not an easy thing to do after all, and from what he had been told by the man himself the faculty members tended to go a bit…crazy if they were able to get his attention at their issues.

Then again, Jin's own words had been quite literally that, for him walking through the hallways felt like being inside a jungle filled with hungry predators, each aiming for a piece of him.

And right now, the Ultimate Imposter was experiencing such a thing first hand, and it was not a pretty sight.

"Wait, everyone…" The fake Jin tried to calm the hoard of man and woman that were coming to him by the second, but his attempts at anything were only met with complains, request and odds propositions to the point that every voice melded together into his ears.

As a last ditch attempt he gave a gaze that pretty much screamed help to a certain Ultimate Lucky Student, who was looking at the spectacle with an awkward smile present on his lips, but before Makoto was able to do anything an arm ended up draping itself on the Luckster's shoulders, with a rather carefree voice coming from the owner of said arm, who was right beside the brown-haired time-traveler.

"Don't worry, Jin. I'll be sure to keep Makoto here some company while you do your job!"

"Eh? Kizakura-sensei?" Makoto called out in surprise, but before he was able to do anything else he was pretty much lead by the shoulder away from the scene, courtesy of Kizakura Koichi, one of the teachers of Hope's Peak Academy and, back in his time, former leader of the 3rd Division of Future Foundation.

"Let's go, Makoto. Leave the adults to do adult things while we relax a bit." The man himself simply chuckled with a lazy smile on his face.

"Aren't you an adult too?" He questioned as he gave one glance full of pity to the Ultimate Imposter, who was still being swarmed by the faculty members of the Academy to the point that he couldn't even see the older Ultimate by now, although the screams and complaints certainly met his ears.

And with that scene burned into his mind, suddenly having Luck as his talent didn't sound so bad to the time-traveler.

* * *

"You should relax a bit, Makoto. You look so stressed lately that I think you'll get white hairs before I do!"

'I think you're way too relaxed, Kizakura-sensei…' The Luckster thought with a deadpan as he watched the man take a sip from a metallic container he had hidden in his suit, and knowing the man he had an idea as to just what kind of liquid he was keeping inside that thing.

He wondered if that was the reason the older man had brought them to an empty classroom, after all, he couldn't imagine drinking like that in plain view, let alone considering how early it was, would be considered an acceptable thing for someone that was supposed to not only teach, but to also recruit students for Hope's Peak.

Then again, not even the end of the world had made the man change that much, so maybe getting used to his personality was the only thing someone like him could do. At least he had gotten used to the man's attitude by now, something that he guessed came with being a lot closer to him than in his times in Future Foundation.

That had been one of his greatest regrets if he had to be honest, after all while he knew that he was probably just overthinking things, a part of him still felt like he could have done something, _anything_ to help the members of Future Foundation, to find a way to stop the Last Killing Game from ever happening in the first place.

He didn't regret helping the Remnants of Despair even if it had been against the organization's wishes, but didn't mean he didn't want for all of them to be able to work together for a better future.

Luckily for him, even if the Future Foundation didn't exist here he was still able to interact with the leaders of each division with a lot more ease than what he could have ever imagined. Maybe it was because the world around them wasn't falling apart, but he had a surprisingly friendly relationship with most of them, like with the man in front of him.

"Hmm?" Said man finally caught on the fact that the Ultimate was looking at him with quite the weird expression, almost as if he was remembering something painful.

"I mean it though, you really should relax a bit, kiddo, or else you'll end up just collapsing." Koichi advised with a friendly smile, with a frown from Makoto being the response he got.

Surely, he wasn't looking _that_ bad, now was he?

"It really is nothing, Kizakura-sensei, just… I guess things here are a bit harder than I thought." The ahoge-haired boy ended up throwing out an excuse, more than aware that he couldn't mention anything related to the future to the older man.

"I know high school can be a pain, especially this one," The blue-eyed man said in a relaxed tone with his small contained raised to be right below his chin. "But don't go blaming on me if Yukizome does something crazy just to cheer you up, we both know how much that woman likes to take care of her students, _especially_ you."

Makoto could only chuckle in response just as his cheeks gained a bit of a rosy color. He definitely couldn't deny that one.

"Here," The blonde man continued as he pushed the metallic container towards the Luckster. "Why don't you take a small sip? It might help you."

"I don't think you should be offering alcohol to one of your students." Already used to the man's nonchalant attitude, Makoto was quick to deny the offer, but a laugh from the older man told him that this time he would need to do better than that.

"Oh c'mon," Koichi complained as he walked closer to his student, and then draping an arm around his neck. "It will be our little secret, and I promise not to tell if you don't!"

Not even giving time for the Luckster to complain as to just how utterly wrong that sentence sounded, the teacher was quick to bring the tip of the container right into Makoto's lips, catching the Ultimate by surprise.

Without enough time to react Makoto felt the liquid burning his throat as he was forced to gulp it down. Luckily for him, he was released after a couple of seconds, leaving him coughing his lungs out while an amused Koichi simply watched with a smile.

"See? Now that wasn't so bad." The blonde man said, already expecting some sort of complaint from the Luckster.

It would at least take the Ultimate's mind from whatever was upsetting him though, or at least that what he wanted to believe.

No one could say he didn't care about his students, he even shared some of his drink with him!

The response he got, though…

"Oh boy…"

Was for Makoto to suddenly fall face first right into the classroom's floor with a mighty thud, his body so unresponsive that it could be easily be mistaken for a mannequin.

Watching the downed teen while blinking owlishly, the teacher was then quick to poke him with his fingers just as he squatted beside the Luckster, a small humming sound then leaving his lips.

"Huh, I guess Jin wasn't kidding," He spoke as he rubbed his chin. "You really are a whole new type of lightweight, aren't you?"

A small snore was the only answer he got.

The more you know, he guessed.

* * *

 **First of all, proper thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for helping me with this chapter!**

 **That was a long one, and here I was thinking that chapters wouldn't go past the 10k words mark.**

 **This one took more time, and I apologize for that. I ended up getting side-tracked with some card games on Steam. Always loved those.**

 **With this chapter, we hit Hope's Peak, and even though it is a free day (or maybe because of that) Makoto won't have time to rest. Not only have more Ultimates appeared, but even a bit of other characters was hinted here.**

 **I'm glad I was able to keep the character's personality intact in the previous chapter, and I hope I'll be able to keep that one up for the future. Some of them can be a lot harder than others, especially with the whole point of the fic, but the best I can say is that I'll try my best.**

 **Since a lot of the time will be spent inside of Hope's Peak Academy itself, this chapter also hints a few of the changes done to the institution itself. More details will be shown later of course, for right now we still have more Ultimates that want a piece of poor Makoto.**

 **What characters will appear next? Maybe they will be your favorite, who knows? They will all appear in this first batch of chapters though, so worry not if your favorite character from any of the three main games takes their time to appear, I won't forget about him/her.**

 **Truly, thank you all for reading this far and for the support you've shown for the story. Your reviews help a lot and with all the favs/follows this is getting I'm glad so many are enjoying this little story. See you all next time.**

 **Next Chapter: Should infirmary rooms be this noisy?**


	4. No Rest For the Lucky Ones

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama**

 **Chapter 3**

 **No Rest For the Lucky Ones**

The first thing that reached his ears was the sound of someone humming.

It was an action filled with happiness, something that his ears were able to pick up even with his eyes closed. The person responsible for said hum almost sounded as if everything was right in the world and nothing would ever change that.

The fact that he also felt a hand slowly moving through his brown hair in a way that could only be described as soothing, combined with how reluctant he felt about disrupting the obviously content person to his side, almost made him pretend to be asleep.

But of course, more than one question about his current situation in his mind made that idea vanish as soon as it popped into his head. Was he comfortable? Absolutely, but the honest worry of now not being inside the school, even though the last thing he remembers is a certain teacher of his forcing a drink into his throat, was now urging him to open his eyes and get some answers.

Sounded like an exaggeration, but it wouldn't be the first time he closed his eyes in one place just to be in a completely different one in the next second.

Better to be safe than sorry was something that he learned to live by.

But even more importantly was the fact that he couldn't feel his trusted hoodie around his body, pretty much meaning that someone had taken it from him and left him with just his white shirt under it.

That, as he had learned during his second time at Hope's Peak Academy, was never a good thing.

But even so he knew how strange would it be if he just opened his eyes all out a sudden, so it was after a few seconds that the Luckster released a small moan on purpose in order to alert whoever was caressing his hair that he was about to wake up.

"Eh!?"

The response he got could only be described as a nervous squeak, one that made him take a guess as to who said voice belonged to. Said sound was followed by the owner of the voice retracting her hand in such a quick motion that the brown-haired almost got worried that the spike of hair resting on top of his head had hurt her or something.

That thing was surprisingly sharp.

He opened his eyes slowly just as his right hand moved towards his forehead in an attempt of calming the pain he was feeling on his head. It honestly felt as if his head met a wall or something.

Instead of meeting skin though, his fingers ended up touching the bandage that had been wrapped around his head, something that easily brought even more questions to his pounding head.

Luckily for him, he wasn't alone. He raised his upper body slowly while his right hand then moved through his hair just as his brown eyes moved from the front to the person standing to the side of the bed he was using, with a kind smile forming on his lips as soon as his hazel orbs made contact with a pair of light purple eyes.

"Tsumiki-san." He called out to the girl in a soft voice from his sitting position, something that he had learned to do whenever dealing with the purple haired girl.

Honestly, with the way the Ultimate Nurse was looking at him, with her hands clasped in front of her as her body shook for reasons he could still not comprehend, he couldn't help but compare her to a fearful deer.

He almost felt like she would flinch if he made any sudden moves.

"N-Naegi-san." Her quivering voice did little to stop the comparison in Makoto's mind to the point that he honestly started to wonder if he had done something to upset the girl. That idea was quickly shot out of his head as soon as he realized he had only recovered consciousness less than two minutes ago.

Even so, he couldn't help but to want to know what was wrong. His questions about how he ended in the infirmary room of all things could be saved for later for after he managed to calm down the older Ultimate.

It ended up being said Ultimate the one that spoke first.

"I-I'm sorry!" Mikan suddenly said in such a high-pitched, nervous tone that it caught Makoto by surprise. "I'm s-sorry for w-waking you up! I just…"

As soon as those words reached Makoto's ears they made the Luckster want to release a small sigh. He controlled himself however, knowing how the Ultimate Nurse would probably take the action if he did.

She was already looking as if someone had kicked her puppy; there was no reason to make it even worse.

"Tsumiki-san, don't worry." He spoke as gently as he could while raising his hand almost as if just to prove the girl that he wasn't going to harm her. "You didn't do anything wrong. In fact, I think I should be the one apologizing here."

Mikan's expression was quick to turn into a confused frown, almost as if the words that the ahoge-haired boy said hadn't processed properly in her head. Why would he be the one apologizing? She was the one that woke him up by accident after touching his hair while he slept after all.

She hadn't been able to help it though; heck just having him here under her care was already more than enough to get her imagination going a mile per second. She was able to control herself though, mostly out of fear of upsetting him if he found out.

Even when she knew that the younger Ultimate was never one to get angry at her she still couldn't help worrying about such a thing happening. He was her closest friend after all, and if it wasn't for a certain Ultimate Imposter he would also be the only one she could actually call a friend without any doubt.

But even so she knew everyone had a limit, and even if the Luckster's kindness towards her looked to never end she still felt more than a little anxious about those smiles he kept giving her suddenly turning into an annoyed scowl.

Not that such a thing had happened in the year she had known the Ultimate Lucky Student of class 78 mind you.

And when it came to said Luckster…

"I mean it, Tsumiki-san." He continued with his smile, only having a small idea of what was going through the girl's mind and knowing that there were only a small handful of things he could do about it. Mikan's issues weren't things you could fix in one day after all. "I'm not completely sure of how I ended up here, but it means that you were taking care of me, right?"

A small nod was the response he got from Mikan, who seemed to have calmed down slightly by his tone.

"Then I'm the one that should be apologizing for eating up your time." He continued without missing a beat just as one of his hands played with the bandage on his head. "You should really give yourself some more credit, Tsumiki-san, you're probably the most capable one when it comes to stuff like this, and that's inside a school filled with the best of the best."

He wasn't exaggerating for he truly believed that. After studying a year with her, Makoto could safely say that the only one that came even close to Mikan in that aspect was a certain silver-haired older Ultimate.

"Y-you think that…?" The girl asked softly, giving the time traveler a weird sense of deja-vu. He was extremely sure this wasn't the first time they had this type of exchange, but that wouldn't stop him from answering once more.

"Of course!" He responded with nothing but conviction dripping from his voice. His face turned into a sheepish one soon after, with his hand moving from his head to his cheek "I don't think I would have lasted this long without you here, Tsumiki-san, with the number of times I've ended up in this place."

He even had his own bed with his name on it and everything, although he didn't know if that was a thing to feel proud about.

His words seemed to finally do the trick though, for the girl's dubious frown slowly formed into a content smile. She was even blushing from what Makoto could only guess was embarrassment; after all, he knew how it felt to just get complimented out of nowhere, even if he was just saying the truth.

With the purple-haired Ultimate seemingly more relaxed, Makoto took a second to inspect the room he was in. It was just like how he remembered it being from the last time he had landed here, which funnily enough, although it depended on whom you asked, it was not so long ago.

The white walls that surrounded the room, the half-dozen beds with sheets as clean as they could get, and of course the infinite amount of objects that even now he still didn't know that they do. He was just glad that none of them had been used on him though, since normally whatever it was that landed him here could be fixed with nothing but a small bandage.

He assumed he shouldn't be surprised by the level of quality though, after all not only was this the only infirmary room in the whole school, but it was also the Ultimate Nurse's Research Lab of all things.

He still had to get used to that one, to be honest. While he had only spent one year studying in Hope's Peak Academy before everything went to literal hell, and with those memories still being a bit hazy even after Future Foundation's help he still found it odd that he had no memories of Research Labs.

But by now he could only think of them as natural. It made enough sense in his head, as in rooms made with the sole purpose of being used by their respective Ultimate to put their talents into action and push said talents even further were just a natural part of what Hope's Peak wanted to do.

He even had his own too, although he had to control the shudder that went down his spine at the thought of that room. It was just… weird if he had to put it nicely, and this was coming from someone that had entered all the other Research Labs.

He also had to share it with the two other Ultimate Lucky Students residing right now in Hope's Peak, which meant things could get, well, chaotic would be a word to describe it.

To this day he still didn't know how someone could win a game of Russian Roulette with all the bullets inside the gun, but it was apparently a thing all right, he saw it with his own eyes so it was hard to deny it.

First things first though, and that was to get some answers. Sure, he could put two and two together easily enough, but it was better to get confirmation rather than assuming things, something that he had learned by now.

Problem was that the only one that could provide him with said information was too busy giving a silly smile to the floor while she played with her fingers as she blushed to the point that he had to wave his hand in front of her face just to get her attention once more.

"Eh? W-well that's…" The purple-haired girl mumbled as she tried to find the right words to explain to the younger Ultimate how he ended here "Kizakura-sensei brought you here, he said that you h-hit your head with a ball that came flying inside through a window…"

He could only massage the bridge of his nose in response to the older man's excuse, not only because of how ridiculous it sounded but also by the fact that, judging by Mikan's worried expression, she had believed it in its entirety.

Not that he could blame her though, after all, it would not have been the first time it even happened.

"Where's sensei then?" For how lax the man could be, even Makoto would like to think that he wouldn't just ditch a student in the infirmary and then call it a day.

"Well…" Mikan continued slowly, her gaze now low "Yukizome-sensei happened to be passing by…"

And he needed no more words to get a picture as to what happened while he was unconscious.

He closed his eyes for just a second with the intention of sending a silent prayer to the blonde man, truly hoping that he would be able to keep his job, and every part of his body if the man was lucky enough.

But with that out of the way, a more urgent matter made itself present on the Luckster's head. That matter being the fact that he was starting to feel a bit…naked without his trusted hoodie hugging his body.

"Tsumiki-san, what about my clothes?" He voiced out his doubt with a small tint of red appearing on his cheeks, after all, he knew it was probably Mikan that took them off his unconscious body.

He decided to not ask her about that though, for both of their sake. Sure, he was curious as to why she would need to take his clothes if it was just a wound in the head, but who was he to question an expert on the matter?

"I-I'll go get them!" The high-pitched answer he got from the Nurse told him that he wasn't the only one embarrassed about that, something that was followed by the girl almost running to one of the desks just to retrieve the carefully folded clothes.

He could have grabbed them by himself if she had just pointed out that they were that close, but the brown-haired Ultimate decided to not comment on that as his gaze kept focusing on the nervous girl, who was already walking back towards him.

In retrospective though, he should have seen this one coming from a mile away. You would think that after seeing it happen so many times he would get used to the sight, but even then he still couldn't help but be amazed by Mikan's… _skills_.

"Ah…!"

Because if there was one word that could be used to describe what was happening right now, it would be clumsy.

"T-Tsumiki-san?!"

To this day he still didn't understand how someone manages to trip over nothing but air.

But it was hard to not believe it when he just saw it with his own eyes, and with the result of that being Mikan's body colliding against him, sending the two Ultimates spiraling into the floor just as Makoto's clothes were sent flying.

The end sight was something that could even be considered a work of art for some.

And even when he was involved in it, if someone asked him to explain his current position Makoto simply wouldn't be able to do so, for his own mind could barely even register what had happened, let alone think of a logical explanation for it.

After all, it wasn't every day you had the Ultimate Nurse on top of you, with her hand below your shirt and touching your mid-section, her legs firmly locked between yours and her chest pushed into your face to the point that you almost forgot how to breathe.

He was sure that his face was even releasing steam if the heat he could feel from it was any indication, not that the older Ultimate was faring any better if the way her eyes looked like swirls while her face sported the strongest blush he had ever seen in his life was any indication.

The positive side of this though, and it was something that Makoto found himself repeating in his head in a vain attempt to calm his blood pressure, was the fact that there was no one to see them in such a compromising position.

"Oh my…!"

Suffice to say, he regretted thinking that not even a second later, for the next sight that filled the corner of his eyes was of someone opening the door of the room.

His own voice came out without warning, but the only thing that could be heard was a muffled sound as a result of his face still being trapped.

The strange noises Mikan was releasing in tandem with his muffled cries did little to help.

To be honest, while there were worse people that could find them like this, he could already feel the problems this would bring.

His hazel eyes got frozen in almost fear as they looked at the black eyes of the Ultimate standing by the door of the infirmary, with said Ultimate looking down at the spectacle in front of him with a smile that was getting bigger by the second.

"Please, don't stop on my account." The Ultimate Cook, Hanamura Teruteru, said in a happy tone just as he closed the door behind him. "Just give me a few seconds and I'll even join you, my friends."

The next thing that fell on the floor was Teruteru's red scarf, something that just made Makoto's already wide eyes even bigger somehow, with nothing but panic showing in them.

"N-No one is joining anyone!" With a jerk of his head, he was finally able to pry his mouth away from certain parts of Mikan's anatomy, with the urgency in his own voice being more than obvious to anyone that heard him. "Tsumiki-senpai, Hanamura-senpai, please!"

It took almost five minutes for the situation to be fixed.

Sadly for the trio, the only happy about that was Makoto himself.

* * *

"I'm s-sorry, Naegi-san…"

"It's fine, Tsumiki-senpai, really!" Sure, he couldn't look at the older girl without blushing now, but seeing her almost sobbing in the corner of the room was doing little to help.

"I apologize too, Makoto-kun." It was Teruteru the one that spoke next just as he readjusted his scarf. "I…should not have interrupted your moment."

"It was just an accident!" The Luckster was sure that his complaints were falling on deaf ears, however, if the thumbs up he was receiving from the brown-haired older Ultimate indicated anything.

The fact that Mikan had to help her classmate with his nosebleed didn't help either.

At least he was now fully clothed once more though, so there was always that silver lining.

"What brought you here in the first place, Hanamura-senpai?" Deciding that it was best for his mental health to change the subject, the Luckster asked his question while he rubbed the Nurse's back in a vain attempt to calm her down.

"Ah, I almost forgot!" With his sudden realization, the Ultimate Cook was quick to dig into the bag resting on his back, with even Mikan giving him a curious look from her watery eyes alongside Makoto.

"Here!" And with a proud tone, Teruteru presented a small plastic container to the younger Ultimate. "I was passing by with Yukizome-sensei and I thought this would help you once you woke up."

Accepting the offering, Makoto gave the object in his hand a curious look before opening the lid, and while it was probably his imagination he could have sworn right then and there that a golden light was released from what was resting inside the package.

"Hanamura-senpai…" The Luckster said in wonder as he eyes went from the container in his hands to the smaller Ultimate. "I mean, you didn't have to bother…"

"Nonsense!" The Chef answered with enthusiasm as he fixed his hair with a small comb. "I know by heart the type of meals you prefer, Makoto-kun. This much is not a problem at all!"

The time-traveler's eyes went back to the object in his hand, and he could even feel Mikan looking at it from behind his shoulder. In theory, it wasn't much, just a set of three moderate-sized rice balls, but just looking at them was enough to make Makoto's mouth water simply by the thought of their flavor.

Getting a meal from the one recognized as the Ultimate Cook wasn't something to take lightly, after all.

"Please, do dig in now that they're fresh." And with a signal of his hands the older Ultimate encouraged Makoto with a smile, one that Makoto was quick to return with one filled with gratitude.

Sure, he knew that the Ultimate Cook could be a bit… strange sometimes when it came to rather adult matters, but he also knew that his heart was always in the right place.

No wonder his mother was so proud of him, the time-traveler though, after all he certainly remembers how much of that the woman showed when Teruteru had actually taken him to his old family dinner.

However, even if his trust in his fellow Ultimates was nearly absolute, there was still one needed course of action needed to be done whenever it came to Teruteru's food.

"Ne, Senpai," He said in a friendly tone as he grabbed the left-most rice ball. "You didn't add anything weird to them, right…?"

His question was met with silence from the Ultimate Cook, who could only match Makoto's stare with a smile, one that did little to convince the Luckster with the amount of cold sweat that was now going down Teruteru's forehead.

Makoto shared a look with Mikan, who was also sporting a worried frown. You never knew what kind of things the Chef sometimes added to his creations after all, and even if the taste of it couldn't be called anything but excellent, there was still the fact that eating something made by him came with more than a few risks.

Last time they had to quarantine _everyone_ to their rooms in fear of what they might do in their… _excited_ state.

The fact that the Ultimate Cook of all people had been banned from actually cooking lunch at the school's cafeteria said a lot.

"I have a meeting with Headmaster Kirigiri after this, so I just wanted to make sure." He continued with a smile, not exactly lying, but also knowing he needed to do a bit of goading if he wanted an answer. He _did_ have to meet with the older Kirigiri however; it just wasn't something he had to do immediately.

It was one of the reasons he actually came to the school in a free day in the first place.

The shocked visage that appeared on Teruteru's face was quickly replaced by a nervous chuckle as he played with his hair, with his dark eyes moving randomly as the amount of sweat pouring from his face somehow rose.

"You… might want to skip the middle one then." The Ultimate Cook said as nonchalantly as he could, something that just got an awkward smile from the Luckster. "I mean…just in case, you never know."

'Right…' The ahoge-haired boy thought as he gave a nod of acceptance, deciding to trust the older Ultimate's words. Without anything to stop him he was quick to take a bite of the rice ball, and even if he tried he knew he would not have been able to control the moan of delight that escaped him.

With Teruteru sporting a proud smirk, Makoto even offered the remaining safe rice ball to the remaining Ultimate in the room, although it took a bit of coaxing on his part to get Mikan to accept, and even then she only accepted it if he gave her the one he had already taken a bite from.

Weird indeed, but sometimes letting things go was the best way of progressing, or so he wanted to believe.

Suffice to say, the remaining rice ball was left forgotten.

However, the amicable atmosphere that surrounded the trio was not meant to last forever, for even if it was still quite early this was still Hope's Peak Academy, a place filled with the best of the best, the true elite.

But most importantly…

A place in which people really liked to open doors with more strength than necessary.

The sudden opening of the infirmary room was just another proof of that after all, with the act itself being enough to get surprised squeaks from the trio of Ultimates residing inside as they almost jumped from their seats, with their eyes instantly drawn to the one responsible of making such a noise.

"Oh thank God…" Said person spoke in a breathless, almost terrified whisper as he did his best to catch his breath, his shoulders shaking as he looked straight at Makoto with a combined look of hope, fear, and defeat.

The next thing that the Luckster felt was someone grabbing him by the shoulders before shaking him like a rag doll, leaving Mikan and Teruteru to watch the sight in wordless shock.

"Please you have to hide me he's coming for me!" The words that left Hino Asukasei's mouth came out in a rushed stream of dread and anxiety just as the member of the Student Council kept shaking the Ultimate Lucky Student as if his life depended on it.

"W-wait, Hino-senpai, w-what h-happened?!" It was only then that the older Ultimate stopped shaking the ahoge-haired boy, but even then he refused to release the grip on his shoulders, with the eyes hidden behind his glasses still sporting nothing but fear.

"There's no time to explain, he's coming I can feel it." The member of the Student Council continued in a whisper just before he looked over his shoulder, almost as if expecting something to jump at him "It was supposed to be my turn this weekend, but I can't do it he won't even let me sleep please just hide me!"

Still dressed in the school uniform unlike the other Ultimates in the room, Asukasei's eyes moved erratically around the infirmary right until they landed on the locker set firmly in one of the room's corners, with his next course of action quickly forming in his mind.

There was no time to doubt.

Rushing towards the grey locker that was barely big enough for someone to fit in, the member of the Student Council gave one last desperate look to his fellow Ultimates just as a final whisper left his quivering lips.

"Help me…" And with that he shut himself inside the closet filled with cleaning tools, leaving three clearly shocked teenagers in his wake, with said Ultimates then sharing a look between them filled with nothing but bewilderment.

Just what in the world could have left someone like Hino Asukasei in such a state? While such a question appeared in both Mikan's and Teruteru's mind, it was Makoto that was assuming the worst already.

Luckily, although right there it would depend to who you asked, the answers to their doubts came once the door was opened once more with a firm strength, although carefully enough to not make such a forceful sound like the one before.

This time the one that opened the door swept through the room from left to right with his gaze, almost like a lookout tower trying to find the infiltrating enemy.

"Tsumiki-senpai, Hanamura-senpai, please excuse my rudeness." The first words that came out of his mouth was a small greeting as soon as his eyes landed on the two older Ultimates to the side, with his tone being as serious as it could get.

However said tone, alongside his no-nonsense expression, were shattered as soon as his red eyes landed on the remaining Ultimate in the room, with his whole form expressing shock once he noticed the bandages around the Luckster's head.

"Naegi-kun!" The newcomer made a beeline towards the sitting time-traveler, almost like a missile going straight at its objective, with said Luckster having no time to react before another hand landed firmly on his shoulder, although luckily for him this time he was not shaken around like a toy. "What happened to you? Are you alright? Who did this?!"

"Ishimaru-kun, calm down!" Makoto was quick to come to his senses though, as he tried to calm the increasingly worried Ultimate Moral Compass of his class. "It was just an accident and I'm better now."

In his opinion, it was better to just let things vague instead of repeating whatever lie certain blonde teacher of them had said.

"Just an accident, you say…" It seemed the red-eyed Ultimate struggled to accept such a simple answer, even when he knew it was most likely the truth, after all not only he didn't believe his best friend to be capable of lying to him, but he also knew how the Ultimate Lucky Student of his class could be prone to get caught in rather…unusual accidents.

But even so, he couldn't help but worry about the smaller Ultimate's wellbeing. After all, wasn't it his responsibility to watch over his classmates? But even beyond that, Makoto's safety was something more personal to him, something that was already making him rearrange his current plans in his head.

It wouldn't do him good to just abandon his future vice-president of the Student Council in his time of need, after all.

It truly didn't take him long to reach a conclusion.

"Senpais!" With a sudden yell, Kiyotaka was fast to turn towards the older Ultimates once more, with his rise in tone and firm stare being enough to leave the two students of class 77 more than a bit nervous, especially a certain nurse. "I thank you for taking care of my classmate, but I must insist on taking over such duties by myself."

And as soon as those words rang true, Makoto could have sworn he heard a small whimper coming from a certain locker.

Not like he had any time to focus on that though.

"Wait, Ishimaru-kun," With a hand on his shoulder Makoto was quick to speak while sporting a frown. "I appreciate your concern, but Tsumiki-senpai and Hanamura-senpai already helped a lot," Turning his frown into a grateful smile, the Luckster continued. "And I think you're already busy enough without having to worry about me."

The spiky-haired Ultimate simply looked down at the Luckster's eyes for a few seconds, almost as if trying to find something in those hazel eyes. It ended with him simply closing his eyes and releasing a sigh though, alongside a small nod of his head.

"You're right." Kiyotaka spoke in a low tone, normally unbefitting of the Ultimate Moral Compass "I was trying to find Hino-senpai to ask him some more questions, but I haven't been able to find him today."

Alright, now Makoto was more than sure that a small sob had left that locker.

However, whatever thought he had about Kiyotaka agreeing with him was blown out of the window as soon as he opened his red eyes once more, which showed nothing but firm determination.

"However, how can I do such a thing if it means ignoring my friend when he needs me?!" The shout of conviction that left Kiyotaka only made Makoto hung his head, truly feeling touched by the sentiment but also kind of defeated.

"B-but, I…" Surprisingly enough it was Mikan the one that tried to speak next, while Teruteru for his part was seemingly more than happy with simply watching from his chair, although the looks the Ultimate Cook was giving the closet in the corner was enough to give the Ultimate hiding inside a shiver down his spine.

"Geez man, I can hear your yells from outside!"

Sadly for the Nurse, she was interrupted by another voice that came from outside of the room, which could only be heard in the first place since the door had been left open.

"Yo, Makoto-chi!" The owner of said voice made himself known by sticking his head inside the room with a grin plastered on his face and a wave of his hand towards his classmate. "I knew I'd find you here."

"Hagakure-kun?" If Kiyotaka's sudden presence had been a surprise to the time-traveler, then the sudden entrance of the Ultimate Clairvoyant was nothing short of a shock.

Now he was starting to feel bad for the owner of this particular Research Lab, especially with the anxious looks the older girl was giving each time someone new entered her sanctuary without her permission.

He didn't even bother asking how the oldest student in the school knew that he was here, after all, he had learned a long time ago to not underestimate Yasuhiro's talent, even if a lot of his friends thought of him as nothing but a sham.

That and, well, by now he knew that a lot of his friends tended to look for him here in case they didn't find him anywhere else.

He didn't know how to feel about that one.

Just like how he didn't know how to feel about Yasuhiro's next words.

"C'mon buddy, I need to show you something cool." While draping an arm around the Luckster's neck, Yasuhiro was quick to try to take Makoto out of the room, catching said brown-haired teen by surprise.

Not that his actions were received nicely, mind you.

"I don't think that would be a good idea, Hagakure-kun." First it was Teruteru himself who stood between the Ultimate Clairvoyant and the door, alongside a challenging smile present on his lips.

"I agree." It was then that Kiyotaka put a hand on his classmate's shoulder, forcing him to release his hold on the Luckster. "In case you haven't realized, Naegi-kun is in no condition to be moving around just like that!"

'I just hit my head on the floor, you guys…' Is what Makoto wanted to say, while also swearing to himself to never drink anything that a certain blonde teacher could offer him. Once was clearly more than enough if this was the result, and he hadn't even agreed to that one!

"Huh…?" While for his part Yasuhiro simply looked at both Kiyotaka and Teruteru as if they were missing the most obvious thing in the world right before he shook his head in obvious disappointment. "That's exactly why I have to take him out of here!"

And now it was both Kiyotaka and Teruteru the ones looking at the older man as if he had lost his mind, which to both Ultimates was actually a real concern.

"Because _I,_ " Yasuhiro continued, completely ignoring the stares he was receiving from everyone inside the room, even from the locker in the corner. "Have seen it already!" He then pointed right at Kiyotaka, who could only glare in response. "You are going to make Makoto-chi do something dumb like cleaning all the hallways with just a rug!"

"And you!" His finger was now set on the Ultimate Cook. "Are just going to drug him, again!" In Teruteru's defense, he did seem a bit apprehensive about that, although he still preferred to simply frown in response.

"As Makoto-chi's best friend I can't let you get away with that!" By the end of if the Ultimate Clairvoyant looked quite proud of himself if the grin he sported was anything to go by, however, it was his final words that finally broke whatever patience was left inside the two other Ultimates.

"There is nothing wrong with wanting to have the school in its best condition!" While giving one step the Ultimate Moral Compass spoke with firmness. "And it is certainly better than your lazy attitude for everything, which I might add should not be allowed in our school environment!"

"That was just _one_ time!" Teruteru followed suit as he inched closer, with his face now sporting quite the red color. "And I never heard you complaining whenever you tried my meals!"

"And what do you mean by his best friend?!" They both even spoke in unison at the last part, with the two now inching closer by the second to the point that Yasuhiro was actually starting to sweat as he walked backward slowly.

As for the two watching the show…

"I am _so_ sorry for this, Tsumiki-senpai."

"N-no, it's fine, Naegi-san."

"I'm pretty sure it isn't…"

Their roles had, at some point, reversed without them noticing; with the Luckster pretty much begging for forgiveness for what he considered was his fault while the Ultimate Nurse did her best to convince him of the contrary.

However, with the spectacle that Makoto was seeing, he knew that it was better if he did something now before Mikan's Lab became a broken mess.

"Guys, please." He was quick to move in between the tri of Ultimates, even if it meant ignoring Mikan's concern for his safety. In the back of his head, he also felt slightly relieved that Mukuro wasn't watching over him at the moment, for he could only guess what would happen if she was here.

"I'm really better now, see?" Makoto spoke with a smile just as he quickly got rid of the bandage around his head, with his brown eyes moving from one of his friends to the other one to make sure they understood. "There's really no need to worry, Tsumiki-senpai was already doing a great job helping me."

His words not only made the Ultimate Nurse look down at her feet with a small smile on her lips, but it also got Kiyotaka, Yasuhiro and Teruteru to look at the girl in question, and for a moment there Makoto honestly thought that they were taking his words to heart.

That thought only lasted less than two seconds, however.

"I _really_ must insist on staying…just to be sure nothing inappropriate happens."

"Yeah, no offense here but I think she's even worse…"

Each word felt like a stab to the young woman's heart to the point that she was left in speechless shock, her whole body trembling slightly.

Makoto's palm met his own face almost instinctually.

Teruteru's final words didn't help much either.

"I have no idea what you lot are talking about," The Ultimate Cook said with confidence just as he rubbed his chin. "Tsumiki-san's _skills_ are the best I've ever seen in my life!"

With the way he spoke, alongside the wiggle of his eyebrows and the small droplets of blood already going down his nose, there was to mistake as to which _skills_ Teruteru was referring to.

"Guys c'mon!" Makoto's complaint was followed by the sound of Mikan pretty much collapsing on her knees with her mouth open, although no sound escaped her lips as if she was frozen in shock.

"Yelling so much that you can hear it from the hallway, isn't it too early to act this spoiled?"

Now _that_ voice was actually enough to make everyone inside the room nervous, except for a still frozen Mikan that is. The owner of said voice was quick to enter the room with a smile on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest.

And while she was giving them all a look filled with kindness, the reproach in her tone could not have been mistaken for anything else, and it was enough to leave the ones responsible for Mikan's current state in looks of worry.

"Yukizome-sensei…" It was Makoto the one that spoke first, with his voice showing just how relieved he was with the presence of the Hope's Peak teacher, who also sported the title of Ultimate Housekeeper.

After all, when things got so bad that even he couldn't calm his fellow Ultimates by himself, he knew he could always count on Yukizome Chisa for help.

In response, the orange-haired young woman moved towards the fallen Mikan from behind her, more specifically the second door of the Research Lab that she had used to enter. Once she got close enough she ended up putting one of her hands on top of the Nurse's head, which actually got the purple-haired girl to look up at the smiling woman.

"Don't pay attention to them, Tsumiki-chan. Boys sometimes say things without really meaning it…" She spoke briefly to the girl before giving the young men in front of her, with the exception of Makoto himself, a challenging look. "…right?"

"Of course!" It was Makoto who took advantage of Chisa's words to save the situation, and whatever was left of Mikan's self-esteem. "I'm sure they were just joking!"

A chorus of apologies followed soon after that, with Kiyotaka's being the one that shows the more remorse considering the other two didn't even know what part of what they had said had been wrong.

It was something at least, and at the moment Makoto was just glad that Mikan's tears had dried by now. She still looked more than a bit anxious, but right now it was better than the alternative.

He made a silent promise to make it up to her as soon as he could however; after all, he was pretty sure that this one was his fault.

At least the issue was over, or so he wanted to believe.

The fact that his arm was grabbed tightly by the newest addition to the group told him otherwise, however.

"I must agree that this is not the best environment for someone to recover though." The green-eyed woman spoke in a serious tone. "With so much yelling you can't expect someone to recover properly. You should all really reflect on that."

The two Ultimates of class 78, alongside their senpai, couldn't really deny that statement and simply found themselves looking down in shame. Not that Chisa's serious face lasted for long though, since it was quickly replaced with a cheerful smile just as she started pulling Makoto's arms without a warning.

"That's why I'll be taking care of Makoto-kun for the moment."

"Eh?" Without even realizing it, the duo of teacher and student were already halfway out the room, with any attempt that the Luckster had of breaking free from the teacher's grasp being met with an even stronger grip from her part.

"I'll be sure to take good care of him, so you don't have to worry, Tsumiki-chan."

"W-wait, sensei…!" Whatever complains Makoto could have became less hearable for the Ultimates remaining in the room the further he was taken away from the room thanks to the teacher, and while the remaining young man's inside couldn't find it in them to complain about her decision it was Mikan the one that looked the most devastated with the Luckster's departure.

She would have said something if she had actually found the correct words, but now the only thing she could do was to look hopelessly at the door her teacher has just walked through alongside her favorite Luckster.

"H-hey, did someone leave a window open or something?" It was Yasuhiro the one that spoke suddenly just after he felt a small chill going down his spine, and going by what he could see he wasn't the only one feeling like that.

Before they could respond him though, the sound of metal hitting a wall echoed loudly in the room, drawing everyone's surprised faces, with the exception of Mikan that kept her eyes glued to the door, to the corner from which the sound came from.

"Did you all really just let Yukizome-sensei leave with Naegi? _Alone_?!"

The words of the sweating and huffing Hino Asukasei hit the group like a lightning, with them not even bothering questioning why was a member of the Student Council hiding inside a closet of all things.

Instead, the trio moved in unison as they tried to leave through the closest door, their shame replaced with concern, now remembering that what they just had allowed to happen was a big no-no, almost like an unspoken rule inside the walls of Hope's Peak Academy.

The only thing they accomplished was starting another argument though, for they couldn't even walk through the door with all three of them trying to move at the same time.

Asukasei suddenly collapsing on the floor did little to help in the matter.

And as for the Ultimate Nurse…

She was simply too busy still staring at the free door of her Research Lab, with her fingers twitching almost randomly as no emotion showed on her face, not even on her eyes which were as empty as they could get.

Her idea of breaking some legs so that no one could take her Naegi Makoto from her was starting to sound better and better each day.

* * *

The Ultimates residing in Mikan's Research Lab weren't the only ones with clear intentions regarding certain Luckster however, for right now others were starting to make their move.

And one of them was a certain man sporting the mask of a cow, with said man walking in front of a pair of Ultimates that were looking at him with eyes of expectation.

"It seems Nidai-kun was not able to bring him today." The masked man spoke quietly just as he gave one final step, with the red eyes of his mask now boring holes in the two individuals in front of him, however, if they were scared by it then they definitely didn't show it.

"Fear not, however, for this only means it is our turn to move by ourselves." He spoke with passion while smacking a fist right into his own chest. "Let us find Naegi Makoto-kun and bring him here. Failure is not an option!"

"Yeah!" A sporty, blue-eyed girl responded with energy, which showed in the way she even raised her fist just as she spoke.

To her side, her companion simply nodded firmly, her white hair following suit. She might not voice it out, but she was no less focused on the task at hand, something that showed by the almost visible aura living her body.

"We are moving out then." And with those last words, the trio moved to find their objective: One small teen sporting an ahoge.

* * *

"To think that radar would actually help us now… I still wonder why you even have it in the first place, Keebo-kun."

"B-blame Iruma-san for that… She added it without me knowing!"

"Eh, who cares about that, Shuichi? As long as it takes us to Makoto then the rest doesn't matter!"

"Shouldn't Keebo-kun be the one leading us then, Momota-kun?"

"Less complaining, more running, Kaede!"

Class 79 was moving forward without doubting.

* * *

"And why do _I_ have to be the one bringing him along?" The annoyance in his voice could not be mistaken for anything else, although his sentiment could also be easily detected just by the look he was giving the sitting woman in front of him.

" **You can't expect us two to find him as quickly as you could."** The fact that said woman didn't even speak, instead preferring to use her laptop, or to be more precise the avatar of said laptop, didn't really make him more enthusiastic about what he was supposed to do.

He wasn't a fan of speaking to digital talking rabbits, after all.

"P-please, Matsuda-senpai.." The remaining Ultimate of the trio spoke in a soft tone, only getting a small grunt from the young man just as he looked down at the feminine looking boy.

Of course, if he left someone in a wheelchair and someone that looked like a shaking leaf to do it then it might as well never get done.

"Fine, whatever." He ended up just accepting, mostly to skip the part in which they argued in favor of just getting the deed done.

He still wasn't able to hold the tired sigh that left his lips as soon as he started his search, wondering exactly at what point had his life started to spin around one Ultimate Lucky Student of all things.

He definitely blamed it on Junko and her obsession with the boy. He had never even heard of him until she brought him up, and then a few months later he becomes the _only_ thing he ever hears about!

Sure, the kid knew a lot of helpful things about the program they were working on for someone that only had Luck as his talent, but even so!

He definitely didn't need to hear almost daily just how _annoyingly cute_ he was whenever he glared at a certain Fashionista.

"I don't get paid enough for this." He muttered under his breath just as he stopped walking with a frown on his face as a result of what just crossed his gaze.

A group of younger students running as if their lives depended on it, with one of them looking like a robot that just came out from a manga he had just read a couple of days back.

He brought a hand up to his face to massage the bridge of his nose.

Today was going to be a _long_ day, wasn't it?

* * *

 **First of all, proper thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for helping me with this chapter!**

 **Shorter than the last one, but I guess it is a result of the chapter only having one location this time. I'll admit I was planning on adding Keebo to the chapter properly instead of just having that little bit at the end, but ended up deciding to put him in another chapter.**

 **I'll admit I found writing Mikan hard, even though I quite like her. Same with Kiyotaka if I have to be honest, but I'll try to get the hang of them properly in the future.**

 **A small tease at the end. Chisa could be considered the final boss for some of the Ultimates when it comes to Makoto, however the** _ **real**_ **final boss when it comes to getting his attention will appear later.**

 **As of this chapter, this story has surpassed the 100 favorite and followers mark and for that, I can't thank you enough. Of course, thank you for all the reviews that you have left, not only do I love those, but the feedback is always appreciated.**

 **See you all next chapter, which with any luck should come faster than this one.**

 **Next Chapter: A library is a place of learning, not this!**


	5. Luck Guided Me Here

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Luck Guided Me Here**

"Sensei… is this r-really necessary?"

"Of course it is! I'm just making sure there isn't any lasting damage."

"B-by touching my forehead with y-yours…?" He knew for a fact that his face was as red as it could get.

"Just making sure you haven't gotten a fever or anything like that. You never know, Makoto-kun." His gaze was filled with nothing but green as the smiling woman's face was the only thing he could see, with her unblinking happy gaze locked tightly onto his own hazel orbs.

It didn't help that their faces were so close that he was sure anyone looking at them would get the wrong idea.

Luckily for him, although he had to wonder if this was just his luck not working against him this time, the older woman separated himself from him before anyone could see them in such a position.

Then again, it wasn't like there was anyone else here to witness it in the first place, at least not as far as Makoto knew.

'I'm pretty sure that's not how it works…' The Luckster decided to not voice out his thoughts after hearing her excuse, instead preferring to simply release a small breath that he didn't even realize he was holding, feeling slightly calmer now that he face wasn't so close to his.

She still refused to abandon her hold on his arm though, which just made their sitting arrangement a tad bit awkward for the time-traveler.

The two chairs they were using might as well be only one with how close they were with one another, and once more Makoto could only be thankful that there was no one else inside to look at their current arrangement.

Surprisingly enough for such a school, the library was a place that was rarely used by most of the Ultimates attending Hope's Peak Academy.

Then again considering how said school focused a lot more on each student's individual growth in their talent rather than in general academics, maybe he shouldn't be that surprised about the library being empty besides the two, especially considering it was a free day for the students.

He wasn't going to complain either anyway, after all knowing how empty the place could be he sometimes used it to rest a bit if things ended up getting too chaotic even for him.

And while he was still glad no one could see his embarrassment, the fact that he was alone with someone like Yukizome Chisa only made said embarrassment even stronger.

She hadn't released her hold on his arm every since she had taken him from Mikan's lab, even after finally reaching their current location.

The fact that his arm had been glued to a certain part of her anatomy every since she had come to get him only made him feel a lot more conscious about the older Ultimate.

He couldn't really say anything to her though. It was kind of hard to when he could see the concern in her eyes, even if he believed she was just a bit touchy-feely in her attempt to find anything wrong with him.

That was just how Yukizome Chisa operated, he told himself, especially considering she had become the homeroom teacher of his class after they started their second year at Hope's Peak. He knew that she was a teacher that cared a lot for her students or even her friends for that matter, considering how much he remembered her doing for the sake of the members of Future Foundation.

But no matter how much he wanted to, it was hard to deny whenever someone said that he himself was the one she seemed to like to dote on the most. Ignoring the teasing he sometimes got for that, he was honestly just glad that he had stopped the woman, alongside everyone from her previous class, from becoming members of Ultimate Despairs.

And as far as he was concerned, those damn videos will never be made as long as he was around.

Good thing that he didn't have to worry that much about a certain Ultimate Animator by now.

Not like he would right now considering his mind was only thinking of ways to detach the smiling woman from him, not wanting to get called to the Headmaster's office for this particular type of conduct between a teacher and a student.

…Again.

"I mean it, sensei," Since the act itself of trying to pray away his arm from her grasp obviously didn't work, the Luckster knew he only had his words as a weapon right now. "It was just a small bump and I'm sure Kizakura-sensei didn't mean it either."

He wasn't even going to try and lie for the blonde man, already knowing that the woman to his side had probably gotten all the answers she needed from her fellow teacher.

A part of him was honestly concerned for the blonde man though, after all, while he knew that the orange-haired Ultimate could be as harmless as they could get he was also aware of how her patience sometimes ran thin when it came to the rather lax attitude of the school's scout.

You wouldn't think so, especially with how she was even pouting at him, but she could actually be scary when she wanted to.

At least it seemed his words, alongside the best convincing smile he was able to muster, was enough to get the woman to release his arm, although the sigh that left her lips soon after told him that there was more to it than just his head, which wasn't even wrapped with bandages by now.

"Kizakura-san had a point, though," Chisa spoke with concern showing in her eyes expression, with her words quickly catching the Luckster by surprise. "You _are_ running yourself ragged lately, Makoto-kun."

The frown he gave Chisa was only met with a worried smile. That was the second time he was getting that by a teacher no less, but surely he wasn't acting up so much to the point it showed.

"I still have no idea what Headmaster Kirigiri was thinking when he assigned you to help the new students!" The orange-haired woman suddenly complained as she crossed her arms below her chest. "Helping the students adapt to the new environment should be a teacher's job. Asking a student to do it with a whole new class is too much!"

He could only chuckle in response to her grumble and the angry pout she was giving the big table in front of them, honestly touched by her concern but also knowing that he had no room to complain about his arrangement with the older Kirigiri when it came to class 79.

He had been the one to ask the Headmaster to be the one to assist said class after all, even to the point that he had actually gone with Kizakura Koichi to help in the recruitment process with the majority of them.

It might sound like a lot of things for just a student to do, and to be fair he had to agree with Chisa about it being a job more suited for a teacher of the school, but he simply _had_ to know more about the Ultimates that would later become his underclassmen.

They were a wild card after all, a whole group of Ultimates that he knew nothing off. Considering how much he was depending on his knowledge of the future such a thing was more than enough to make him nervous, _especially_ with Enoshima Junko walking through Hope's Peak hallways.

He had just wanted to make sure that there was no one from the group in danger of becoming one of Junko's playthings, and in the case that there was that he would be able to protect the Ultimate from the Fashionista's claws.

Luckily enough, although he used that term loosely when it came to anything related to Junko, the blonde seemed more than content with just having him as her _playmate_ as she liked to put it sometimes. As far as he knew she didn't even know the names of her underclassmen, let alone plotting something that involved them.

But it was Enoshima Junko he was thinking about here, and when it came to her lowering his guard was as suicidal as it could get, he knew that for a fact.

"And then you have your mid-terms coming soon!" Chisa continued, and this time her words actually got the brown-haired teen to tense a bit. "Even ignoring your Talent Exam you still have the normal ones to attend."

That point he couldn't deny. After all, unlike the majority of his friends that he knew could make a living out of their talents, he knew that his so-called Luck was not going to get him ready for the future after he graduated, which was one of the reasons he was still doing his best with the academic part of Hope's Peak curriculum even if it was an optional thing for the Ultimates.

He knew that the reputation of the school would probably help, but he couldn't in good conscious just ignore classes.

His Talent Exam was a whole other thing that he didn't even want to think about right now. It would only serve to give him a headache after all. It was only in times like this that he honestly felt a bit jealous about how a certain senpai of his was always so relaxed when it came to those, especially considering they had the same talent.

"I'm just worried about you, Makoto-kun," And then she simply smiled sweetly at him, but it was one of those smiles filled with so much emotion that it left the ahoge-haired boy unable to look straight at the woman, forcing him to look sideways with a flush of embarrassment on his cheeks. "I don't want you spending your three years here without even enough time to actually enjoy them. You're already helping around enough as it is, and the last thing you want is looking back and just thinking that you wasted your youth."

The passion in her voice could not be mistaken for anything else, and Makoto knew for a fact that it was one of the qualities that made Chisa such a great teacher, if not the best that the school had to offer. Her concern for him simply felt too genuine for him to just dismiss it as her just exaggerating.

But even so, he still couldn't help but frown slightly while one of his hands moved through his hair, not because he was upset at anything she said, but rather because he knew what the alternative could have been if he had sat in the background while Junko ran free.

Being just a bit more tired than usual definitely beat seeing everyone he knew dying around him, that one was for sure.

"I understand your concerns, Yukizome-sensei…" Even so, he still knew that the orange-haired woman just wanted what was best for him, and for that, he could only be thankful towards her. "But doing this, helping as much as I can I mean, is honestly the _only_ way I can think of to not have any regrets after I graduate."

He could only hope that she understood him, even if he couldn't tell her why he was like this. He did his best to look as reassuring as possible, even offering her a smile just as he put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a small squeeze.

In return, she could only sigh, actually understanding what the Luckster meant. She was the Ultimate Housekeeper after all, and a teacher at Hope's Peak for three years already. If there was something that she understood, it was to find happiness in helping others.

She knew that arguing with him was futile too, for her student could be surprisingly stubborn sometimes. Nodding slightly to herself she reached the only logical conclusion that passed through her mind.

If you can't win against them, then join them!

"Eh?" A small yelp escaped Makoto's lips as soon as Chisa put both of her hands on top of his shoulders with a surprisingly tight grip, her green eyes looking with so much intensity at his own brown eyes that he could have sworn she was looking straight at his soul.

The fact that her face was once again mere inches from his only made the situation even weirder for him.

"I'll support you in the best way I can then, Makoto-kun!" She spoke with nothing but seriousness in her voice, with her face coming closer just as the grip on her shoulders stopped him from getting away from her. "I'll help you with everything you need!"

It was the perfect idea in her head. If she helped him more with all the things he was piling up then he would have more free time to enjoy himself. It was a simple and easy to remember plan that would help the two of them nicely!

She would get to spend more time with her favorite student, after all.

"Thank you for the offer, but…" He tried to reel back the conversation, but the doubt in his words simply got her to narrow her eyes and push her face even closer while keeping her smile, almost as if challenging him to actually refuse her help, something that it was hard to do when their noses where touching by now.

"…Glad to have your help, Yukizome-sensei…" He ended up just muttering, knowing what fights he could win and what he couldn't. He slightly blamed his own mother for this though, considering how he was simply unable to deny something to an older woman like Yukizome Chisa.

Then again he couldn't deny anything to girls his own age either, something that showed a lot whenever he was alone with one of them.

Wait, wasn't he just the same with younger girls too? He would like to think it was only with his sister, but that would only be a lie, he was certainly unable to just say no to requests from his underclassmen.

He ended up frowning in realization just as his sensei released him, with him so busy in his current train of thoughts that he didn't notice the small cheer nor the energetic smile now plastered all over Chisa's face.

At least he never did that when it came to Enoshima Junko, so he supposed he wasn't a lost cause just yet.

Not like Junko really counted in his eyes anyway.

At least his sensei now seemed happy, and that's what it mattered to him in the end. He would just have to make sure to keep her away from some of the most sensitive stuff he and the Headmaster sometimes discussed.

"…I think your bad luck is starting to get contagious."

In fact, the only thing that stopped the teacher and student pair from simply smiling at one another was the sudden dry voice that came from the opposite side of the table in front of the two. Had they been so focused on one another and on their own thoughts that they hadn't even noticed someone standing there? Apparently so.

"Matsuda-senpai?" He was the first one to voice out his surprise just as his eyes landed on the almost bored looking Ultimate Neurologist, Matsuda Yasuke, who in return simply stood there, with what looked like a small book in his hands.

"You actually left your Lab, Matsuda-kun?!" It was Chisa who then spoke in wonder, with a gasp almost leaving her. It was a known thing how much the Ultimate Neurologist liked to stay in his own Research Lab after all.

"Hey, don't talk as if I was some sort of recluse." Said young man simply grumbled with an annoyed face. "I was just doing a favor and it got me here."

"Favor…? About what?" With curiosity getting the best of him, Makoto asked the still standing older man, with Chisa's body language telling anyone that saw her that she too was more than a little curious.

Makoto knew the Ultimate Neurologist was in a similar position to him, as in he knew that the Headmaster sometimes likes to request sensitive things from the Ultimate Neurologist.

But even without that fact, Matsuda Yasuke was still someone that greatly interested the time-traveler, after all even ignoring his participation in the creation of the Neo World Program, there was still something that the older Ultimate had that had gotten Makoto's attention a long time ago.

Namely, his relationship with Enoshima Junko.

As far as he knew, Yasuke was the closest one to the Fashionista after taking Mukuro out of the equation, something that to this day mystified the Luckster to no end. After all, to think that Junko herself actually had something like a best friend was nothing short of strange for him.

This was the girl that had killed her sister in cold blood after all.

But considering the information he had obtained back in his time, Matsuda Yasuke had met his own cold death at the hands of Junko.

Even now he still didn't have the details of what had happened between the two, but if Junko truly saw this man as something akin to a friend then, didn't that mean that there was still something inside the girl that he could save?

Just that thought alone made him picture a certain glass-wearing blonde from his class telling him how stupidly naïve he was being, and maybe he was, but if he started doubting his own optimism then what would even be left of him?

The fact that Yasuke looked more than content with simply looking between the two with a sharp gaze, almost as if wondering if they were worth the trouble of sharing whatever assignment he had, only made Makoto think he wouldn't even answer at all.

That is until his fellow ahoge-sporting Ultimate released a sigh before pretty much plopping himself on the chair he had nearby, with his elbow resting on the table while he used his hand to support his face.

"Headmaster Kirigiri was passing by my Lab and asked me if I could find you, Yukizome-sensei." He spoke in an aloof tone, his focus being mostly on the novel in his hand. "He apparently wants to talk to you about… inappropriate conduct with the students."

The pointed look Makoto received at that point left no question as to what students Yasuke was referring to.

"But I haven't done anything yet!"

The sudden outburst from the Ultimate Housekeeper caught Makoto by surprise, who could only blink owlishly at her as the result of the words she used.

'Yet…?' While his mind tried to process properly the information he was getting, he wasn't given the time to say anything before Chisa suddenly stood up from the seat, followed by her softly patting on his head.

"I'll be right back, Makoto-kun, just wait here!" She said with another smile, to which Makoto could only nod in confusion, his eyes then following Chisa all the way until the woman left his sight, although she made sure to keep waving at him right until that.

A tense silence left the two remaining Ultimates at the table, with only the sound of the Ultimate Neurologist flipping pages from his novel coming from them from time to time. Makoto wasn't one to like silence like this one though, especially when there was something nagging him at the back of his head.

"Kirigiri-san didn't ask you to find Yukizome-sensei, did he?" The Luckster asked, although a part of him felt as if he already knew the answer.

"Nope." The older Ultimate answered swiftly, still just focused on reading his book. "I haven't even seen the old man today."

"Why the lie, then?" He asked once more with a frown, this time actually getting Yasuke to look at him for a second before seemingly going back to his reading.

"This is my favorite spot in the library since no one comes to bother here." Yasuke explained with just a bit of annoyance slipping through in his tone. "I would rather not have that ruined by you deciding to suck faces with a teacher of all people."

Makoto didn't know how, but he found himself choking on air as soon as those words hit him like an arrow to the chest, his mind now wondering just how much had the older Ultimate seen before they noticed his presence.

"We weren't doing anything like that!" He could feel his own ears going red, for even if he wanted it or not the words his fellow Ultimate had said ended up leaving him a mental image that he would rather not have now of all things.

"Really? Could have fooled me." Makoto could only groan after hearing that response, more than aware that Yasuke wasn't buying it in the slightest.

Another silence soon followed, which didn't surprise Makoto considering how much he knew of the Ultimate Neurologist. Then again, just the fact that Yasuke seemed content with just letting him sit there at least proved that they weren't on bad terms, or at least that's what Makoto liked to believe.

Even so, he opened his mouth once more to ask something, slightly wondering how Yasuke would react.

"Have you seen Enoshima-san today?"

Yasuke's fingers, which had been moving to pass the page, suddenly stopped as soon as his apathy-filled gaze fell on the serious looking Luckster, with light blue matching brown for just a second before the older ahoge-boy released a tired sigh from his lips.

"Why? Was sensei not enough so you're now trying to see if you can get lucky in the meantime?" Of course, Yasuke knew enough of the Luckster to be aware that he wasn't one to act like that, but that didn't mean he didn't find the interest the younger Ultimate always showed for Junko to be weird.

This wasn't the first time he had heard that question from Makoto after all, and considering how a lot of their conversation went there was only one way in which he could describe the relationship between Naegi Makoto and Junko.

It was one of mutual obsession.

Junko was seemingly obsessed with whatever she had seen on the Ultimate Lucky Student, that much he understood, even if he found it weird and annoying as hell. It was Makoto himself the one that had him confused, after all even after months of knowing him he still couldn't figure out why was he so interested in Junko of all people.

It definitely wasn't because he liked her personality, that much was a given.

If it was anyone else he would just mark it down as the boy wanting to bang a model or something, but he knew enough by now for that not to be the case. Besides, he doubted Junko would get so worked up on someone as shallow as that.

Whatever it was, it was something that his investigation on the Ultimate Lucky Student of class 78 had not revealed. There was always the possibility of him having a crush on Junko or something, but…

Considering the scared, almost terrified expression that had appeared on Makoto's face with his question, he doubted that was the case. He doubted someone like Mukuro would let Junko anywhere near someone that could take advantage of her anyway.

"That is _not_ why I was asking, I can assure that much, Matsuda-senpai." Instead of embarrassment, it was with a frown that Makoto spoke. Just the thought of what Yasuke had implied was enough to make him feel as if he had betrayed everyone he knew. "I'm just curious, she's my classmate after all."

"Right…" Once again it was obvious that Yasuke didn't buy his excuse at all, but he wasn't going to bother to argue that one. "Why not ask Mukuro then? Aren't you banging her too or something?"

And that brought back the flush filling Makoto's face.

"I'm not doing t-that with anyone, Matsuda-senpai!" He had a point though since when it came to Junko's whereabouts it was normally Mukuro the one that provided him with that information. Not like he didn't have other ways of knowing that, mind you.

However, he had no idea where Mukuro was at the moment. Sure, he had told her to go and help the Ultimate Supreme Leader, but she should really be back by now.

He didn't even worry about Mukuro not being able to find him. She had a knack for finding him anywhere so that was hardly a concern.

"Really? Well now, that's just sad." The fact that the older Ultimate sounded genuinely saddened by that just made Makoto slam his forehead against the table in front of him. "But anyway, I have no idea where Junko is either, and if Mukuro doesn't know then you're screwed in that regard."

Nodding slightly just before releasing a sigh, Makoto could only wonder about Junko's whereabouts. It wasn't like he _needed_ to know where she was at all times, it just made him feel better knowing, but then again by now, it was Junko herself the one that approached him as much as she could.

That fact had a lot of good and bad things if he had to be honest, but if just his presence was enough to distract someone like Junko then, who was he to complain?

He wasn't even given the chance to do so in the first place though, for the next thing he felt was Yasuke's eyes moving slowly to the top off his head, after which he kept his gaze there accompanied by a raised eyebrow.

He honestly thought for a moment there that the older Ultimate was focused on his ahoge for some reason, but that thought disappeared as soon as the sound of books hitting the floor filled his ears.

"Eh? Fukawa-san?" Said sound made the Luckster turn around in his spot rather quickly, his eyes then landing on the one responsible for the noise. He was quick to leave his seat and approach the girl, after all the reason for the sound in the first place had been the girl dropping a few books from the shelves by accident.

"T-Thank you…" The Ultimate Writing Prodigy, Fukawa Toko, spoke in a low tone, with her eyes that were hiding behind her glasses set firmly on her own shoes, almost as if the idea of just raising her head was too much for her right now.

"No problem." It was with a smile that he took the pile of books she had been holding from her hands while making sure that none of them fell on the floor again. "I didn't think I would see you here though."

Considering who the girl he was talking to was maybe he shouldn't be that surprised, but even someone like the Ultimate Writing Prodigy rarely came to the library. As far as he knew she usually preferred her own room or her Research Lab when it came to her literature.

"I-I was just….looking for s-some inspiration." The purple-haired writer still kept her gaze down just at the two moved closer to the table.

"If by that you mean just looking at the back of lady-killer over here while drooling like an idiot then yes, quite the inspiration you were getting." It seemed Toko's words had been said loud enough for the Ultimate Neurologist to hear, although whatever reasons the older Ultimate had for saying that in return was beyond Makoto's understanding.

At least it finally got Toko to tore her gaze from the floor, since she was now glaring heatedly at the stoic Yasuke, however if Yasuke cared even a little about that then he did a good job hiding it.

"Nobody asked you…You useless thug!" The glass-wearing girl was quick to throw back her own insult. The next thing she did was to give a small step back in nervousness at the pointed stare she received in response to her comment.

"Guys please…" It was Makoto the one that defused the situation before it escalated any further though. He knew that Yasuke and Toko weren't exactly what one would call a people's person, in fact, a lot of his friends weren't even that friendly to most of their fellow classmates, but even so he prided himself to be able to stop any fight from crossing the line.

And he did, in fact, stop them from throwing more insults at one another, just not in the way he had hoped to.

After all, the next thing he did was to put the stack of books on the table. You would think that in such a school they would at least take care of the books, but in retrospect, Makoto felt like he should have seen this one coming.

After all, what happened with such abandoned books was that they got covered with unholy amounts of dust.

And said dust just so happened to get lifted like a curtain as soon as the stack of books hit the table.

Now, such a thing normally didn't bother people that much, after all what was the worst that could happen? That they would sneeze a bit?

The thing was, that's exactly what sent Makoto into overdrive, after all the next thing he head was the sound of someone sneezing to his side.

"Well…" It was Yasuke the one that spoke, his eyes now actually more focused on his underclassmen rather than on the book of his hands. "I guess that is one way of shutting her trap."

"But still…" Yasuke continued with a raised eyebrow. "When I said it was sad I didn't mean for you to start doing that _now._ "

"That is not what I'm doing here!" Even his own words sounded hard to believe, after all Makoto could only guess how he looked at that moment considering the position he currently found himself in.

His left arm was now surrounding Toko's waist, pushing the thin girl towards him with as much strength as he could while making sure he wasn't hurting her. With her body pressed to him in a way that he knew was begging for misunderstanding, his other hand was firmly set above the girl's mouth, almost as if to try and stop her from uttering even a single word.

If it was a normal situation Makoto would found himself red to his ears while Toko would have probably fainted by now, but this was far from a regular one for the duo.

And because of that, the only thing that showed in the Luckster's face was apprehension and nervousness, with his gaze set on a frown as it clashed with Toko's eyes.

It wasn't Toko the one looking at him though. No, for instead of Toko's light purple eyes, what was looking back at him was a pair of crimson eyes, ones that showed nothing but delight at her current predicament.

The fact that the next thing Makoto felt was the sensation of something slimy and wet pretty much lapping at the hand he had over her mouth only confirmed it even more, and he honestly had to control the urge of just tearing his hand from her face.

To say that Fukawa Toko was one of the most…difficult ones of his friends wouldn't be a total lie. After all, even back in his original time, they hadn't been what you could call friends. It wasn't like he hadn't tried to get on her good side mind you, but she had certainly preferred to keep him at arm's length.

So while he hadn't expected much of a friendship with her even now in the past, he still had tried his best. He felt like it was simply the least he could after everything Toko had done for his little sister.

In fact, even Komaru herself had made him promise to help Toko as much as he could once he got settled in the past, and how could say no to such a heartfelt request from his sister?

But maybe he had gone a little bit over the top with that request; after all, he had somehow managed to stop the Ultimate Writing Prodigy from pretty much obsessing over a certain blonde classmate of theirs.

Standing up to said blonde heir after he threatened to reveal Toko's secret to the world just to get her expelled had apparently left a bigger impact than what he thought capable of Toko.

That was a story for another time though, since it was hard to think of details when you had a tongue filling the palm of your hand with saliva while a pair of red eyes looked at you with nothing but insane satisfaction.

For it was that same secret that Byakuya had tried to reveal almost a year ago the one that had him like this, holding Toko's body like a lifeline just to stop her from doing anything crazy around that might get her into trouble.

He wasn't dealing with Fukawa Toko, the Ultimate Writing Prodigy right now after all, but instead he was dealing with one of the most insane individuals he ever had the pleasure of knowing, which was saying a lot considering he knew Junko.

Genocider Syo, also known as the Ultimate Murderous Fiend, although why she had a title was simply beyond him, was apparently more than content with simply staying in his hold for the moment, although he would certainly prefer it if she stopped licking the palm of his hand as if it was a popsicle.

The fact that he could hear her moan in delight didn't help either.

At least Yasuke was still unaware of the fact that he was just a few feet away from a serial killer, and if Makoto had any say about anything it would certainly stay like that. As far as he was aware only he and Byakuya knew about Toko's condition.

Then again, something told him that the Headmaster was aware of it too and just decided to do nothing about it. Not like Syo was the only Ultimate in the school with blood in her hands, and once again it was only the promise that he had made to his sister that made him able to deal with someone like Genocider Syo.

Twisting his body in the best way he could while not letting go of the girl's body so that Yasuke wouldn't be able to see her expression, Makoto gave the red-eyed fiend the best serious look he could muster under those circumstances.

"Syo-san, this is kind of a bad moment." He whispered as low as he could so that only the girl in his grasp could hear him. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened after all, and something told him it wouldn't be the last. "Please just change back with Fukawa-san!"

Unlike with Toko, which by now Makoto knew would immediately comply with his request, Syo could be a lot more problematic than that. The fact that the expression in her eyes told him that she was considering it almost made him release a relieved sigh.

The fact, however, that said look was quickly replaced by a wink just as Makoto saw the tip of Syo's tongue starting to escaped between his fingers threw his hopes of the serial killer helping him out of the window.

Plan B it was, then. It would be more than a little problematic for the Makoto of the future, but the him of right now was out of options.

"Syo-san, I promise to spend some time with _you_ later," The way he said that made it more than clear to the serial killer that he was referring to her and not Toko, something that got her eyes wide and filled with nothing but delight. "But only if you change back _right now!_ "

She needed no more incentive than that, for the next thing he felt was her tongue finally retracting back into her mouth followed by her releasing a sneeze right into his palm.

The feeling of gladness he had easily overtook whatever disgust he might have felt with the action, however, and in the end the Luckster simply wiped his hand as best as he could using his pants with a tired smile present on his lips.

"…If these are the hope of the future then we might as well just kill ourselves already, the world is doomed anyway." He even ignored the comments from the older Ultimate behind him. He was too busy just feeling glad after all, with his eyes focused on the confused girl still in his grasp.

Said purple-haired Ultimate simply blinked with a confused frown just for a couple of seconds, right before it dawned on her just exactly what had happened if the horror on her face was any indication.

The time-traveler was more than ready to do his best in calming her down, however before he even got the chance for that Toko's expression suddenly shifted once she realized the fact that she was in her classmate's arms.

Her frightened look was quick to turn into a shaky smile, with the corner of her lips raising slowly just as her face got red by the second. Next thing she did was to throw her gaze down, and Makoto could have sworn that she felt her tremble in his arms.

That, combined with the quite strange giggle that escaped her mouth, was enough to turn Makoto's smile into a frown.

Her words certainly didn't help him.

"In public, like this…" The girl muttered, sending a shiver down Makoto's spine. "But if it is with Makoto-sama then…!"

That was more than enough for Makoto to spring away from her almost as just touching her would light him on fire. He did _not_ need to be sent to the counselor's office just because someone complained that he was harassing his female classmates, _again_.

…Strangely enough that only started happening at the beginning of the year.

At least it got him closer to Usami's creator, so that was always a plus.

He ended up just turning his head to the side, the embarrassment he felt being too much or him to look at Toko. It didn't help much considering his gaze ended up clashing with Yasuke's, who was giving him what he could only consider as a deadpanned expression, almost as if everything that had come from Makoto's mouth in the last five minutes had been nothing but crap.

"Not messing with anyone, huh?" His tone of voice felt like a stab for the Luckster, since apparently Yasuke had been able to hear what Toko had whispered. "Look, I couldn't care less with whom you're doing the horizontal tango…"

"I _swear_ I'm not…!"

"But I'm sure there is a cozy, private room somewhere for you two to have your fun." The older Ultimate continued, completely ignoring Makoto's words. "What I'm trying to say is: _leave._ "

"I must agree with Yasuke-kun's sentiment, even if it is rather crude, although I would prefer if you waited until graduation for something like that."

It was a new strong-sounding voice the one that regarded the group, quickly earning Makoto's attention, with Yasuke following his gaze to the side soon after, while for her part Toko seemed more than fine with just giggling randomly while hugging herself, muttering stuff from her imagination from time to time that Makoto decided to zone out for the sake of his sanity.

His gaze was instantly drawn to the newcomer's most prominent aspect, which was the object hiding his face from the world.

It wasn't every day that you saw someone wearing a cow's mask after all, although by now the mask did little to intimidate him like before.

"Gozu-san?" The time-traveler said with confusion. Yasuke and Toko he could understand coming here, but what could the Ultimate Wrestler need from a place like this?

The suit-wearing Ultimate kept moving from behind Toko, with the girl unaware of his presence until the man's shadow ended up covering her frame, which got the girl to leave her fantasy world and instead made her turn around.

She didn't take the man's sudden appearance with grace, for her next course of action was to release a strangled squeak before moving as fast as she could to put herself behind Makoto, getting an awkward chuckle from said Luckster.

"I apologize for startling you," Gozu's deep voice, even though it wasn't particularly loud, still echoed inside the library. "I saw Yukizome leaving this place and something told me it was here where I would find who I needed."

And with the way the mask's red eyes zoned on him; Makoto had an idea as to who it was that the older Ultimate needed.

"Did something happen?" He asked warily as he walked closer to the brown-haired man, although it was kind of hard with Toko grabbing him by the sleeve of his hoodie.

"I'll give you more details on the way, but it would be best if we took our leave now, unless…" Gozu's eyes then went from Makoto to the sitting Yasuke, who simply returned the challenging gaze with a raised eyebrow. "There will be any problems with that."

"Nope, none at all." The Ultimate Neurologist answered easily while waving his hand. "The faster you take him out of here the better if you ask me."

'Thank you, senpai…' The Luckster in question could only lower his head, even though he knew that the older Ultimate was not one to soften his words. Even his ahoge deflated in response.

"Very well." And with a nod of acceptance and gratitude from Gozu, the man was swift to get closer to Makoto, and while the Luckster expected many things being suddenly lifted by the Ultimate Wrestler and being thrown over his shoulder had not been one of them.

"G-Gozu-san?!"

"It will be faster this way. We have no time to lose!" Of course what the Ultimate Wrestler avoided to mention was the fact that he just wanted to leave as fast as he could before a certain Ultimate Housekeeper returned.

No need to awake the lioness after all.

And with no more words the man known as Great Gozu was quick to leave the library in a speed that definitely didn't suit such a big man, however for the black-haired ahoge-boy left in the library he could only release a relaxed sigh at the fact that he was finally alone.

Or so he wished, because even now he could still feel the glare of the Ultimate Writing Prodigy making a hole in his head.

"W-why didn't you stop him?" The purple-haired girl complained while gritting her teeth in frustration, more than a little angry that the object of her desires had been quite literally taken from her grasp.

"Yes, that is what I should have done: Pick a fight with the guy in the cow mask." Yasuke shot back with nothing but sarcasm dripping from his voice. "What about you, glasses? I bet if you just opened your mouth you might have scared him off."

Sure, he was _supposed_ to bring the kid back with Fujisaki Chihiro and Gekkogahara Miaya, but right now he could only think of one thing when it came to that request.

Fuck that.

At least it seemed that the younger Ultimate had finally gotten tired of just glaring at him, since the next thing she did was to just scramble away in the chase of the Luckster if Yasuke had to guess.

He didn't care though, he was just glad to finally have some peace and quiet time for himself.

He opened his novel once more, and he would have started his reading again, if a sudden vibration from his pocket hadn't stopped him as soon as he had started.

"Someone better be dying…" He said under his breath as he quickly took his phone out of his pocket and brought it to his ear without even checking who it was that it was calling him.

"What?"

"…"

"No Junko, I am not dragging your damn boy toy to your room."

Why oh why couldn't he just escape Naegi Makoto's existence?

* * *

Funnily enough, the Ultimate Neurologist wasn't the only one dealing with one of the sisters from class 78, although considering the situation said sister was probably the one most annoyed by the situation at hand.

It should have been easy enough for her. To simply leave Oma Kokichi on his room and then go back to watch over her Luckster, it sounded as easy as it got, and she knew that in any other situation she would already be protecting him with the best of her abilities.

But instead of doing that she was now trapped in the Ultimate Supreme Leader's room, just as she had been for a while now, with the owner of said room still unconscious in his bed, surrounded by all the crap he seemed to hoard for reasons she wasn't aware of.

The fact that a lot of those things seemed related to certain Luckster only ticked her off even more, and also raised Oma Kokichi's level of danger towards her classmate in her head.

Not knowing about the safety of one Naegi Makoto was already more than enough to frustrate her, but the fact that she knew that he was probably already in school, at the mercy of their fellows Ultimates only made her frown ever harder in annoyance.

Makoto might be quick to forgive them all and to go along with whatever they wanted, but she would be damn if she let any of them harm him just because they couldn't keep themselves in check.

Yes, Ikusaba Mukuro, the Ultimate Soldier, was more than a little bit angry at the fact that she was unable to do what she considered by now her life mission.

The fact that she had the one responsible for that sitting on the other side of the room only made it so much _worse_.

After all, while looking at the Ultimate Lucky Student from her class was enough to make her feel things she didn't even know she could still feel, looking as _this_ Ultimate Lucky Student only made her scowl in anger.

Komaeda Nagito was, after all, almost at the top of her list when it came to dangerous people around Makoto, only surpassed by her own sister of all people.

And yet there he was, sitting on the floor while smiling at her even though it was more than obvious to her that said smile didn't even reach his eyes. Comparing it to Makoto's honest ones, this one could only be described as disgustingly fake.

"You really shouldn't scowl that much, Ikusaba, or else you'll just get wrinkles."

The fact that he even talked to her as if they were friends didn't help his case either. It wasn't like she didn't know what he honestly thought of her, since he had made it quite clear by now.

Not that it mattered to her. She only cared about the opinion of two individuals in the whole world, and Komaeda Nagito was certainly not one of them.

"I guess I should apologize again though, since it was my fault that the door got locked like that."

She knew his luck could be unpredictable, but even so, something told her that he wanted for this to happen. She couldn't even just break the door to leave, after all the damn thing had been made exactly to resist stuff like that.

And there was only so much she could do with one knife.

Luckily enough, another fellow Ultimate, the Ultimate Maid, had arrived earlier and was now looking for someone that could unlock the door. Why was she taking so long it was beyond her, but she could only hope that she did so fast.

"But even so…" She heard the white-haired Luckster speak once more. It seemed he was content with speaking even if she was ignoring him. "I would really appreciate if you stopped doing things like this, Ikusaba."

Those words actually got her to tear her eyes away from the wall and to focus on the older Ultimate, with a raised eyebrow being the only sign that she heard his words.

"I mean, I would love to hog Makoto-kun all for myself." The way he spoke about her Luckster only made her frown even fiercer. "But don't you think you should give everyone a chance to be with him instead of doing, well, _that_?"

And almost as if he knew that the Luckster had mentioned him, Kokichi released a groan in his still unconscious state.

While for her part she simply went back to look at nothing, already not caring about whatever the older Ultimate could say. Not that it stopped him from continuing talking, however.

"Then again," Something in his voice changed however, to a tone that she was certainly more familiar with. "I guess I shouldn't expect much from someone like _you._ "

She knew what he meant, and she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her angry. Besides, if she reacted every time someone like Nagito tried to get a rise out of her then she would have killed him already.

Not that such an idea sounded bad in her mind, but knowing how that would affect Makoto was enough to stop any passing thoughts she might have on the subject.

"So you're just going to ignore me, huh?" Yes, she was. There was absolutely nothing that she wanted to say to him. "That's fine I guess. In fact, if you just kept your distance from Makoto-kun as much as possible then I wouldn't even have to bother you, Ikusaba."

She actually couldn't control the snort that left her because of his words. As if she would even abandon her Luckster simply because of his mad ramblings.

"Just the fact that you have the title of Ultimate is already sickening enough, but then you go around as if you deserved _his_ attention." While his words did little to unsettle her, she was forced to look at him once more as soon as he started chuckling in a way she could only describe as disturbing.

The grip on her knife hidden behind her became tighter. You never knew what Komaeda Nagito was capable off after all, and it seemed whatever patience he had for acting normal around her was starting to run thin.

"And the worst part is that you do it with the excuse of wanting to protect him." His chuckles stopped abruptly, almost as if it had been an illusion, and she was greeted with nothing but coldness from his green eyes. "Please, Ikusaba. If you really wanted to protect him then you would simply kill that disgusting being you call sis-"

No more words left his lips, for it was hard to talk to when you had a hand wrapping tightly around your neck. He could only smile in an almost victorious fashion, almost as if he wasn't being lifted by the neck by someone that could easily snap said neck if she wanted it done.

And while she was already cursing herself mentally for reacting the way she did, there was still no way she would let Nagito run his mouth on one of the two living beings that she cared about. Even if her relationship with her sister changed a lot thanks to Makoto's involvement there was still no doubt in her heart that she loved her.

At least he never bad mouthed Makoto since the older Ultimate was clearly too obsessed to do that, or else the school would have found itself with one less student a long time ago.

"Go ahead." He somehow still found the energy to speak however, even if it came out as hoarse as it could get. "Maybe with this, Makoto-kun will finally realize what you actually are and get rid of you like he should…"

She kept her glare aimed at his painfully smiling visage for just a second more before releasing the hold in his neck, forcing the white-haired Ultimate to the ground just as he coughed roughly.

The fact that he looked more disappointed than relieved about being released only made her sour mood even worse. If it was anyone else she would have been able to keep herself level-headed, but her frustration with one Komaeda Nagito was enough to get her to react.

The fact that she let her emotions slip more as of late probably didn't help either.

"What's the problem here?"

Luckily it seemed that the matters between the two would have to wait, for the next thing that happened was the door finally being opened, with two Ultimates, one of them being the Ultimate Maid that had finally returned, entering the now open door.

She didn't even bother answering the gruff voice that asked the question, with said voice belonging to Sakakura Juzo, the Ultimate Boxer, and instead left the room as swiftly as she could. She didn't have the time to be interrogated, especially by someone like Sakakura Juzo who would only blow things out of proportions.

She heard him call out to her just as she escaped the room, but she simply ignored him. She was on a mission after all, and the dash she was doing through the halls could not be stopped.

At least, until she felt something vibrating in her pocket. That was certainly enough to stop her midrace, after all as far as she knew there were only three people that knew her number, and she doubted that someone like Yasuke would call her out off the blue.

That only left two options and once she checked on whom it was that had decided to give her a call she could only release a small sigh.

After all, when was the last time she had received a call from her sister?

* * *

 **First of all, proper thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for helping me with this chapter! It would be a mess without them.**

 **Less crazy shenanigans this chapter, I know, and while I love writing those I ended up using this chapter to establish a few things, which I felt it was needed because some of the characters appearing in this one (With Chisa being the class' teacher, Yasuke's relationship with Junko and Toko's condition).**

 **The last part is just to show that not everything is rainbows and laughs when it comes to some of the Ultimates, and who better for that than Komaeda.**

 **This chapter was also supposed to have more Great Gozu, alongside Sakura and Aoi, but it would have made the chapter way too long. There's always the next one, however.**

 **A lot of reviews said that the final boss is Komaru herself. Can't wait to add her to the story, but I won't confirm or deny anything, you'll get to see it soon enough anyway.**

 **Another thing reviews caught on was that I mentioned there being two Ultimate Lucky Students besides Makoto. Obviously one is Komaeda himself, and yes I'm aware V3 doesn't have a Lucky Student, but no I didn't make a mistake. One of the V3 characters shall bite the bullet and take that role for his/her class, and before anyone gets upset by the talent change I am not forgetting about their original talent or anything nor am I changing his/her personality, it's just something I'm doing for both the plot, the character's development itself and to go with Hope's Peak rules of one Lucky Student per year.**

 **Feel free to take a guess as to who it is though, but he/she shall interact with Makoto soon enough.**

 **This chapter will probably get out a little bit past the time but even then, Happy Holidays and happy New Year. Thank you all for reading this far, the favorites and follows are definitely more than appreciated and thank you for the feedback you have all left in your reviews and PMs. Glad to know I'm not messing up the characters so bad (let's hope I can continue that)**

 **Next Chapter: Does Luck Stack?**


	6. You Can Be More Than Just Lucky

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama**

 **Chapter 5**

 **You Can Be More Than Just Lucky**

"I think I understand now… I'll do my best then!"

"Sorry for the trouble, Naegi-kun!"

"It's fine, really!" It truly was, especially considering who the girl standing in front of him was. He truly doubted that by now he would ever be able to deny a request from her.

The response he got was a smile filled with happiness, alongside an energetic nod from the owner of said smile. Against such a thing, he was only able to smile back in response, already more than a little used to the ball of energy that could be his classmate and fellow Ultimate in front of him.

Energetic would be the perfect word to describe Asahina Aoi after all. Anyone that knew he would know that for certain, although if it was because of her love for sports or for the amount of sugar she ate daily it was anyone's guess.

Not like it mattered to him or anything. Aoi was simply Aoi to him, a person that he owed more than what he could probably repay in his life, even if she wasn't aware of that.

Truly, he could only smile kindly as he saw the girl release a small cry of motivation just before her blue eyes roamed on the room they were inside of with a pondering gaze, almost as if she was wondering how to tackle the subject at hand.

"Your presence here is already helpful enough, Naegi. Leave the heavy lifting to us." It was a voice that sounded a lot calmer when compared to Aoi that regarded him next, making him turn his focus to the intimidating figure that was now looking at him with her pale blue eyes.

"I would feel bad if I didn't help at least a bit, Ogami-san." He spoke as he looked up at the white-haired Ultimate Martial Artist, who could only nod slightly in understanding, even she preferred for him to not have to handle such work considering that he had been pretty much dragged here.

Speaking of which.

"You could have just told me you needed my help though." His voice came out once again, although there was no annoyance present on it as he regarded the last, and older, member of the group, who was already pilling more than a few boxes under his arm. "I wouldn't have minded."

"I apologize for that, but my students should have done this task earlier today." The Ultimate Wrestler answered with honesty. "Time was of the essence to us. Nidai-kun should be here too but… It seems he got lost."

The time-traveler could only chuckle at hearing that, now wondering what had happened with the pair of older Ultimates that he saw just in the morning.

Of course, Great Gozu decided to skip the fact that a part of the reason he had carried the Luckster here was to just move away from the library as fast as possible before the Ultimate Housekeeper got back.

Sure, if push came to shove he could make a hole in the wall by punching it and make a run for it. Anything would be better than facing Chisa after someone has taken her favorite student from her grasp, but then the damage would come out of his own paycheck…

…Again.

"I can't say that I don't understand." He meant that, especially considering the task at hand. Of course, it wasn't _necessary_ for him to be here, but he knew it would speed up the process a lot.

Not because of his own physical capabilities mind you, since when it came to that he was clearly the weakest one considering the Ultimates surrounding him, but rather because of the signature that he was going to put on the paper resting on the clipboard in his hand.

The room they were currently inside was pretty much a warehouse. A special room used only to put away everything that was disposed from the Research Labs. Since just destroying the stuff or throwing them away was considered too much of a waste they were normally kept here until the end of the year.

The current system had the students of each class being responsible for whatever they wanted to put here to make more space in their own Labs. To avoid any sort of problem, a teacher or member of the faculty had to be present too in order to make sure everything was handled properly and to keep track of what was being left here.

In that aspect, with the Ultimate Wrestler being here, Makoto knew that he himself didn't _have_ to be here and watch over the process. This week it was Aoi's and Sakura's turn to move things from the Research Labs of their class here, not his, but he more than understood why he had been dragged into it.

"If it you who approves of the work, then Headmaster Kirigiri should have no issues whatsoever." The masked man spoke in a calm tone, and with his words Makoto was able to notice how both Sakura and Aoi nodded at the same time, taking those words as nothing but the truth.

It might sound weird for them to want his approval, but considering what had happened a couple of months ago he truly couldn't blame them.

At least he was glad that they didn't question much about the fact that the Headmaster seemed to put a lot of trust in him. No one did, now that he thought about it, and while he was hardly the only student that did special tasks for the Headmaster he still found it weird that everyone else just went along with it.

Not that he was going to complain or anything, but he still found it funny.

With that in mind, he couldn't blame Gozu for wanting his help. It came down to the fact that a couple of months ago more than a few things had seemingly disappeared from this room, although considering that no one had any idea of who had taken them, he supposed that the word _stolen_ would be more appropriate.

He could only sigh at that thought. The days after that had been quite the mess, especially for the masked man currently moving boxes from one place to another. The Ultimate Wrestler had been hired to improve Hope's Peak security after all, alongside the Ultimate Boxer, but even so, something like this had happened.

Even ignoring the pressure that such a thing must have left on the two former students of Hope's Peak, Makoto was still more than a little worried the things that had been taken. The headmaster had given him a list after all, and just looking at that had been enough to send a few shivers down his back.

His first thought had been that it had been Junko. That's how his brain pretty much worked by now, but that idea had been dismissed considering that he had been with the Fashionista at the time the stuff had been taken from the room.

He decided to not think of the details of that night though, mostly to avoid the flush of embarrassment that would probably cover up his cheeks.

Heck, the only reason he even knew at what time it had happened was because whoever was responsible for stealing from this room had also managed to hack into the security cameras that the school had to avoid being detected by them.

That fact had shortened the suspect list, but even he still had no idea who had done it, something that did little to calm his worries. Sure, he knew that the older Kirigiri was still searching for answers, and that he had probably tasked his daughter to help him, but after that day a seed of doubt had been planted in his heart, one that still refused to go away.

But even so, he was forced out of his thoughts by the distinct feeling of someone looking at him. He raised his gaze, with his frown quickly turning into a surprise expression as soon as his hazel eyes met a pair of worried blue ones.

"You ok there, Naegi-kun? You looked like you were trying to imitate Kyoko-chan or something…" The Ultimate Swimming Pro said with nothing but concern in her voice. She wasn't the only one looking at him though, since from behind her he could see that Sakura and Gozu were also focusing on him.

He cursed himself mentally for that, with the last thing he wanted to do being to worry his friends.

"Sorry for getting distracted!" He was quick to put a smile on his face, although said action only got Aoi's frown to become more noticeable. "I was just thinking about something, that's all…"

His words did little to sooth the tanned girl's worry, and he only got more nervous once he saw Sakura and Gozu sharing a look before nodding. In fact, the only thing that stopped them from saying anything was the fact that Aoi herself released a small sound of understanding, almost as if she had it all figured it out by now.

"You're worried about the Sports Festival coming up soon, aren't you?!"

He looked at the brown-haired girl for a few seconds before simply chuckling in response. He then moved to grab one of the boxes that were already piled up in the entrance so that organizing them would be easier, deciding that it was better to get the job done as soon as possible, even as he felt Aoi's mock glare at the back of his head.

"Sorry about that, Asahina-san, I'm just surprised you're already worrying about that since it is a month away." He honestly had completely forgotten about that thing. It wasn't like he didn't care or anything, he just had a lot of things in his mind at the moment.

He had not been able to participate in the last one anyway, so he wasn't that enthusiastic about it.

Well, maybe not participating was an exaggeration on his part, but he doubted being the final prize in a Treasure Hunt event counted. Why had the Headmaster himself planned that event was beyond him.

"Well of course!" Aoi spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We need to prepare already for it! Sakura-chan and I aren't going to lose to anyone this time!"

"Indeed." The mentioned silver-haired Ultimate followed up swiftly, almost as if the fact that she had around a dozen boxes on her shoulders meant nothing to her. "Losing isn't an option this time around."

The Luckster was even able to feel the fire burning in their eyes, as if the event itself had gone beyond just a school thing and became something more personal, which he understood slightly considering that their class had lost said event last year.

Truly, underestimating Nagito's luck was something that by now they had learned to never do.

He was once again caught by surprise though, this time by having Aoi point at him with her finger to the point she almost touched his nose.

"And you better be cheering for us that day!" Something told the Luckster that this was not going to be the last time he would get such a request from someone, but even knowing that, to such a heartfelt request from Asahina Aoi herself he could only nod with a smile.

"Of course I will! Who else would I be cheering-"

"Last year you were cheering for Akane-senpai and Sonia-senpai!"

Her words felt like arrows to his chest to the point that he almost recoiled back. He was sure that no one had noticed it on that day, but apparently, he had been wrong.

But it was just so hard not to when everyone gave you such expectant looks!

"That was just-"

"And after they won you ran off with them to celebrate God knows where!"

A part of him felt like telling that it was more that he was dragged rather than anything else but he knew it would only fall on deaf ears.

The other part of his brain was mostly processing his thoughts about how a pouting Aoi looked cute, while simultaneously doing its best to make sure it stayed _inside_ of his mind.

He tried to find some sort of support by looking behind the girl, but the only thing he got was a smile and a nod from Sakura, which pretty much told him he was on his own for this one, and a thumbs up from Gozu, almost as if he approved.

Of what, he had no idea, but it felt good he supposed…

"I promise to cheer you on, Asahina-san!" He was finally able to say something to his classmate, but a doubtful was the response she gave him, her half-lidded eyes showing that she wasn't impressed.

It was time to bring the big guns, Makoto decided.

"In fact, why don't we celebrate a bit already?" His words got Aoi more than a little interested in what he was saying if the way she perked up was any indication.

"You have been training with Ogami-san, right?" Even if he ignored the excited nod he got from Aoi, he could still see the proud one that Sakura made from behind the Ultimate Swimming Pro. "Then we could have a small celebration for your hard work after we're done here. I'm sure the kitchen has already been re-stocked…"

The gasp that left Aoi's mouth told Makoto everything he needed to know.

"You think they have…!?"

"I'm sure they got more donuts, Asahina-san."

Truly, the face that Asahina Aoi was able to make as soon as the word donut left him could only be described as one filled with nothing but sheer bliss.

"Yosh!" With the fire in her gaze obviously re-ignited, Aoi left a high-spirited cry in her wake to move towards her own pile of boxes. "No slacking off then! Sakura-chan, Gozu-sensei, I'm counting on you!"

And while she moved like a girl possessed, Makoto, Sakura and Gozu could only give the Ultimate Swimming Pro fond looks before they once moved to continue their work, with the happy humming coming from Aoi's lips quickly filling the warehouse.

* * *

"Well… Everything seems to be in order." He announced from outside the room, and almost immediately he could hear the sighs of relief coming from the trio to his side.

Not that he could blame them, since the last thing anyone wanted was to get in trouble over some missing stuff.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Makoto-kun." The Ultimate Wrestler spoke in a tone filled with gratefulness just as he received the paper from the Luckster that detailed everything that had been stored. "I'll be sure to explain this to Headmaster Kirigiri properly."

"It's fine. I'll be sure to mention it too when I see him later." He responded back before checking the time on his watch. He still had some time before having to meet up with the older Kirigiri it seemed, which, considering that he wanted to go see someone before that, was perfect for him.

"I still don't get why someone would steal from here." It was Aoi the one that spoke with confusion in her voice and a frown on her face "Why would someone want any of that junk?"

Considering that the only thing she had in there were some swimsuits that didn't fit her anymore, it was hard to blame her for her words.

Makoto knew better though, since he knew from which Research Labs the stolen objects belonged to.

What the culprit would do with things from _those_ particular Research Labs, he could only guess.

"I'm sure they will be caught soon enough." He said with a wry smile, part of him wondering if something like this happened on his first time at Hope's Peak and he just never knew of it. He truly doubted that, considering that by now back in his timeline everything had gone for the worse.

"I will be sure to keep my eyes open from now on." The Ultimate Martial Artist declared swiftly with her arms crossed over her chest. "You won't have to worry about any intruders, Asahina, Naegi."

"That's right." Sensing the questioning looks both Aoi and Makoto had, Gozu was quick to give a follow-up. "Headmaster asked for Sakura-kun here to join the night surveillances from time to time."

"Eh?! Really!?" The shock in Aoi's voice could not be mistaken for anything else, and even Makoto himself found himself surprised by that, considering that he didn't remember the older Kirigiri ever mentioning something like that.

"I couldn't deny such a request from our Headmaster, especially if it is the school in which some of us live that is in danger." Sakura explained easily, almost as if it was a natural thing for her to do.

"Sakura-chan…" Makoto could even hear the deep gratitude that laced Aoi's voice.

"If it is Ogami-san then… I don't think anyone else will dare to try and do something like that." He said with conviction, already more than aware of the strength that one Ogami Sakura held.

She was, after all, the same girl that had gone head to head against the monster that was Monokuma. If she could do that then, well, he was even starting to feel bad for whatever poor soul tried to cause more troubles around the school.

"Thank you, the two of you," The soft smile that appeared on Sakura's lips said enough about how touched she was by the trust they had in her. "We shouldn't retain you anymore though, since the two of you already made plans."

"Eh? You aren't coming, Ogami-san?" He could tell what the taller Ultimate had implied, but he was sure that he had made the invitation open for all of them.

"I have other matters to attend to, so I'll have to ask you to be with Asahina in my place."

"I mean, sure but…" In his confused state, he wasn't able to notice the thankful smile the Ultimate Swimming Pro gave her best friend, one that simply received another soft smile in response.

Supporting her friends in matters of the heart was, in her opinion, the least she could do, especially considering that she knew Aoi wouldn't have it easy.

After all, if there was something Ogami Sakura knew, besides her experience with the martial arts, it was how it felt to be a woman in love.

While for his part Gozu could only watch the spectacle in front of him while slowly shaking his head, the word _youth_ leaving his mask silently enough so that no one would hear him.

"I'm sure she'll join us later, Naegi-kun!" The Ultimate Swimming Pro wasn't even going to let the Luckster question this too much. That and she had a feeling that if they wasted any more time something was bound to interrupt them.

Without warning, she was quick to take his hand in hers, with the action itself being more than enough to make the Luckster release a small squeak of surprise.

Sure, back at his timeline she had even carried him on her back, but even so, her grabbing his hand like that was enough to make him feel slightly embarrassed. It also helped that he just knew it was Aoi being her usual friendly self, and that being self-conscious about that would only make things unnecessarily awkward.

Suffice to say, he also missed the small tint of red that had appeared on his classmate's face as a result of her action.

Not like they were allowed to keep their hand lock for much longer anyway, for before Aoi was able to drag the Luckster away a mighty, almost metallic thud was heard from behind the group.

And after turning around to look, they didn't even know what kind of expression to make at such a sight.

It wasn't all days you saw a robot almost passed out on the floor, alongside a purple-haired young man, with the two of them looking as if they had run a marathon with the way they were sweating and gasping for breath.

How a robot was able to sweat was beyond them, but Makoto by now was used to the small details that gave K1-B0, better known as Kibo, the title of Ultimate Robot.

But even ignoring that aspect, it was still quite the weird sight, especially considering that Kibo wasn't alone.

"Y-Yo, Makoto!" And even as tired as the Ultimate to Kibo's side was, Momota Kaito was still able to greet the Luckster from his place on the floor, albeit in a more shaky way than normal for the Ultimate Astronaut.

"Are they…alright?" He heard Aoi ask at his side, but he honestly found himself just as lost as she was.

The only reason he didn't voice out his doubts was that he felt that the answers would come even if he didn't. It normally went that way when things got weird enough, and this time would be no different, which got confirmed once he saw another pair of younger Ultimates walking towards the fallen duo with obvious tiredness showing in their form.

The newcomers were also gasping for breath, albeit in a more calmer fashion than the Ultimates still on the floor. Heck, Kibo wasn't even moving at all, something that was starting to worry the Luckster.

"Akamatsu-san, Saihara-kun, Momota-kun and…Kibo-kun?" Voicing out their names, his eyes drifted from one another of the students from class 79. It wasn't particularly weird to see them together or anything, but if they were here like that it was most likely for something.

"Naegi-senpai…" The first one to speak was the blonde girl of the group, Akamatsu Kaede, also known as the Ultimate Pianist, who regarded him with a tired smile. "We need your help!"

"What seems to be the problem here?" Before he was allowed to respond, it seemed that Gozu's instincts were first to kick in as he asked them with concern just while Kaito was being helped by his hat-wearing classmate.

"W-well…" Said hat user spoke next, although it was hard to see where his eyes were looking at as a result of said hat. He was already used to that shy demeanor, if he could even describe it like that, coming from Saihara Shuichi, the Ultimate Lucky Student of class 79.

"We really need Naegi-senpai's help," Before said Luckster was able to say more, however, it was the Ultimate Pianist that beat him to the punch, with said blonde now also helping her white-haired classmate from the floor.

"Yeah, what she said." Adding his own two cents, the Ultimate Astronaut spoke with a grin now that he was back on his feet. "C'mon Makoto, we even ran all around the school just to find you!"

Makoto's own concerns for whatever reason the group of younger Ultimates could have to do something like that were increasing, while also starting to be matched by his other concerns about the tension that was starting to form with the Ultimates from his own class.

After all, he definitely noticed how Sakura had subtly moved slightly in between him and the younger Ultimates as if she was trying to shield him from them. And even if he hadn't noticed that, he certainly felt the grip that Aoi had on his hand becoming tighter to the point it almost became painful.

"How did you guys even know he was here?" The one that presented that question was Aoi herself, who looked at the group of four with suspicion dancing in her blue orbs. Sure, they said that they ran all around the school, but Hope's Peak was a massive place, and even ignoring that she wasn't so stupid to not notice that students from their class always seemed to be able to find the Luckster of her class with ease.

It wasn't fair, and she was starting to smell something fishy here. Whenever she tried to find him in the maze that was Hope's Peak the only thing she found was nothing or an angry classmate of hers.

"She did it without me knowing! I didn't consent to it, I swear!"

In the end though, both groups ended up moving their focus to the one responsible for the sudden outburst, with looks going from shocked to worried to outright confused.

And while he could normally handle himself in crowds just fine, Kibo still found all the attention he was suddenly having quite nerve-wracking. In his defense, he didn't mean to suddenly burst out, but the Swimmer's comment was enough to bring up some unsavory memories.

At least, the Ultimate Robot now knew better than to ever accept an invitation to Iruma Miu's Research Lab.

Still feeling more than a little embarrassment, Kibo ended up simply looking down just as his pale cheeks burned crimson, with even his ahoge deflating in response. Thankfully he was saved from having to explain anything further as a result of the older ahoge-sporting teen from the group.

"Why don't we hear what they have to say first?" Makoto spoke just as his lips formed into a friendly smile. "Besides, it _is_ kind of my job to hear any issues they might have."

Those last words were mostly aimed at the two girls from his class, however said girls still didn't look convinced at all, after all, while they knew that Makoto was pretty much acting as class 79's caretaker, they also knew that said class wasn't strange of using that as an excuse to drag the Luckster away whenever they felt like it, even if they didn't actually need him.

Besides, just the fact that Makoto had to personally look over the whole class was more than annoying by itself. Things were hard enough as they were with just their own classmates, let alone their fellows Ultimate from class 77. There was really no need for anyone else trying to get Makoto for themselves.

"We… would prefer it if he would talk to you about it in private, Naegi-senpai…" Suddenly taking the lead since his classmates seemed to be getting nervous by the tense feeling the Ultimate Martial Artist was releasing, Shuichi was quick to explain in a soft tone "I hope it doesn't bother you, Gozu-sensei, but we feel more comfortable if it is senpai…"

"Worry not, I understand completely." The Ultimate Wrestler truly seemed not the least bothered by Shuichi's words, although the oldest Ultimate of the group was quick to change his focus to the brown-haired Luckster "Makoto-kun, while I understand you already had plans, I don't believe ignoring the pleas from your underclassmen to be appropriate."

Sharing that feeling with the masked Ultimate, Makoto could only nod in response before giving the Swimmer to his side an apologetic smile, with his own hand finally leaving her grasp as a result of the Luckster putting both of his hands in front of him as a sign of how sorry he was.

"Asahina-san, I…"

"Fine fine, I get it." With a frustrated sigh, Aoi ended up relenting, knowing by now that the battle had been lost for now. She knew the Luckster of her class wasn't one to ignore his duties after all, so asking him to just ignore the younger students would only end up backfiring on her spectacularly.

"I promise to make it up to you as soon as I can!" Even so, Makoto just wanted to be sure that he wouldn't be leaving an upset Aoi. Making the girl sad or angry was one of the last things he ever wanted to do, after all. "I promise I'll find the time somehow. I can even help you training if you want!"

"It's fine, don't worry about it." Feeling better knowing that he was willing to make it up to her, the brown-haired girl gave her classmate the best smile he could muster right before going behind him and pushing him slightly towards the younger group of Ultimates. "Now go before they start making another fuss about it."

And so he did after giving her one last thankful smile, more than glad that the girl understood the situation. He also said his goodbyes to both Sakura and Gozu, and before long Makoto had walked away with the group of underclassmen.

With another set of goodbyes, this time from the mask-wearing fighter, both Aoi and Sakura were left alone on the hallway, with one girl almost pouting angrily at the spot in which the younger group of students had been standing before they took away her Luckster, while the other simply smiled down at the pouting girl with amusement shining on her eyes.

"I am sure you will able to have your time with Naegi soon enough, Asahina." The Ultimate Martial Artist spoke in a smooth tone, already more than used to the smaller girl's frustration when it came to spending time with her not-so-secret crush.

"You think so?" Aoi spoke in doubt before releasing a tired sigh. You would think that in a school in which you weren't even forced to study it would be easy to spend free time with the boy you liked, but Hope's Peak really liked it to make it impossible to her!

Not like she was going to stop trying or anything, but she could certainly like it if the whole school could work properly _without_ Naegi Makoto for at least just one day.

"Of course," Sakura spoke once more before putting one of her hands on the Swimmer's shoulder and giving it a comforting squeeze. "He promised it after all, didn't he?"

With those words the tanned girl could only smile slightly, her mind already thinking of what they would be doing once she got the Luckster all to herself.

She couldn't wait.

* * *

"Alright, so what's the problem?" He asked as calmly as he could, his eyes sweeping through the group with nothing but worry and curiosity shining in his brown orbs.

"I'm actually wondering about that myself." It was Kibo the one that spoke first with a raised hand and a thoughtful face.

Those words confused the Luckster a bit, and it seemed it showed on his face with the way Kibo quickly explained further.

"Momota-kun asked for my assistance without telling me about the matter at hand, but it seemed it was an urgent one and, as he put it, there was no time to explain." The white-haired Ultimate explained with ease, his eyes then going to the purple-haired Ultimate in question.

And while a part of Makoto wanted to ask exactly what kind of assistance Kibo had given Kaito, he closed his mouth once a shiver went down his spine at the thought. He had an idea about it though, but he felt that asking for confirmation would just end badly for everyone.

He moved his gaze towards the Ultimate Astronaut, who was standing right between the Ultimate Pianist and the Ultimate Lucky Student of his class.

They at least didn't have to worry about anyone interrupting them, since he honestly doubted someone was going to come to the Ultimate Pianist's Research Lab, and with the massive piano being the only thing taking up space in the room there was more than enough room for the group of five Ultimates.

"Momota-kun?" Moving his focus to the Ultimate Astronaut, the Luckster saw how the normally relaxed young man now seemed deep in thought, almost as if he was trying to figure out how to voice out his problem properly.

Something that he did notice though, was that both Kaede and Shuichi suddenly looked a bit nervous as soon as the focus was moved towards the Ultimate standing in between the two. For what reason, he could only imagine it, but something told him that the answer would come as soon as Kaito opened his mouth.

And sure enough, the moment Kaito grinned while pointing at both Kaede and Shuichi with his thumbs it sent the room into a state of confusion.

"These two are going to stress themselves out but keep saying everything's fine, so I'm leaving them to you, Makoto!"

His words left the room that was normally used for music in nothing but still silence, with Kibo still looking as if he didn't understand what was happening while Makoto moved his confused gaze from the grinning Kaito to the perplexed Kaede and Shuichi, who were too busy looking at the Astronaut as if he had betrayed them.

"You told me it was about Saihara-kun!"

"I thought this was about Akamatsu-san!"

Ignoring the outcries from his classmates, Kaito simply walked towards the older Luckster of the room, and once he got close enough the younger Ultimate ended up resting one of his hands over Makoto's shoulder, who simply looked at the younger man with confusion.

"I tried already but they're both stubborn as hell, so I'm leaving them in your hands, partner!" Makoto's confused face disappeared once the Astronaut flashed him a grin full of trust and a thumb up, to which the Luckster could only respond with a nod.

"Now c'mon, Kibo, let's give them some privacy." The purple-haired Ultimate was then quick to put his arm around the Robot's neck before pretty much dragging him away, with the obvious intent of leaving the room.

"Huh?! B-but I wanted to talk with Naegi-senpai…!"

"Same here but you don't see me complaining about it!"

And with one last grin and a look of shock, both Kaito and Kibo left the room, albeit reluctantly when it came to the latter, leaving three Ultimates alone in the room.

With them gone, Makoto's focus moved to the younger students remaining, his gaze moving between Kaede and Shuichi with the intent of trying to figure out who was going to say something first.

However, with the way both seemingly looked more than happy with just looking at opposite sides of the room. He could only sigh at such a sight, after all while he was used to Shuichi being reserved, the fact that Kaede was apparently having some sort of problem and refused to talk about it told him that it was something important.

Deciding on a course of action, the time-traveler decided to tackle on the one that he knew would open herself more easily, but for that, he needed information first.

"Please don't get angry with Momota-kun." He spoke in a friendly tone, wanting to first get a few things out of the way. "I'm sure he only meant well by this, and if he went through the trouble then it means he was worried about you two."

They both seemed to tense a bit after hearing his words, although they ended up relaxing a bit after that.

Soon enough his gaze ended up settling on the young man that also shared his own talent.

"Saihara-kun." After being called by the older Luckster, the grey-eyed Ultimate raised his head a bit to look at Makoto properly, even though the black hat resting on his head still did its best to hide his eyes from the world "It seems you think Akamatsu-san has some sort of…issue?"

From the corner of his eyes, he saw the blonde in question tensing a bit once more, and with the way she was even rubbing her arm with her hand it was obvious that it was a subject that she didn't want to talk about.

"Well…" The black-haired ahoge-boy started slowly, obviously more than a bit uncomfortable too. "It's just… Akamatsu-san seems to be having some problems when it comes to handling our classmates…"

Nodding in understanding at his underclassmen's words, Makoto was then quick to move his focus to the blonde girl, who could only sigh as soon as she heard Shuichi's words, proving to the older Luckster that what Shuichi had said was pretty much spot on.

"Is this about you being chosen as Class Representative?" He asked with his hands resting on the pockets of his hoodie, and with the response he got from the blonde girl being a small nod.

"I just… want everyone to be friends with each other." The ahoge-girl spoke in a sad tone, with Makoto even able to detect more than a bit of frustration slipping in her tone. "I mean, if we're going to study together for three years wouldn't it be better if we were all friends?"

The logic sounded good enough in Makoto's head, but he also knew such an objective was nothing short of challenging, and judging by the look Kaede had she came to realize that too.

"I've tried a bunch of things already but they all just seem to not care at all." Kaede continued while crossing her arms below her chest and with a frown plastered over her face "That or Oma-kun would just get everyone riled up with one of his schemes."

"That's…usually how it goes." Moving his gaze towards Shuichi for confirmation made the younger Luckster talk once more. "I don't think they're doing it on purpose or anything, excluding Oma-kun that is, but is more like most of them just prefer to do their things by themselves."

After hearing their explanations, the time-traveler couldn't say that he was surprised. In fact, he even expected it to some extent to the point that he honestly felt a bit bad about Kaede having such a position as Class Representative.

Then again, whoever ended up getting such a title would only have an uphill battle if it came to class 79. His own class, alongside class 77, was already chaotic enough, but he knew enough about the situation of the Ultimates in the year below him to know that class 79 could be a particularly hard one to handle.

And that was _without_ taking into consideration one Oma Kokichi.

"I'm not going to give up or anything," Kaede spoke with determination once more, however, her deflated ahoge was enough to show her true emotions. "I'm just wondering if I was the right pick for the spot…You even make it look easy, Naegi-senpai."

Did he? He honestly thought it was the opposite way around but apparently, he was wrong.

"You _are_ perfect for the job, Akamatsu-san." He was quick to answer her however, earning a curious look from the blonde. "Just the fact that you care and that you still refuse to give up already proves that, but even then don't forget that _they_ chose you for it, and they wouldn't have done it if they didn't approve of you."

His words got a tentative smile from Kaede, however he still wasn't done.

"I have this senpai of mine…" He started with a nostalgic smile and with one of his hands moving through his hair "She also didn't know how to connect properly with her class, even though she was also supposed to be the Class Representative."

"She found her own way to do it though." He continued, knowing that he had both Kaede and Shuichi's complete attention. "And that was using what she excelled at the most: Her talent."

"Her talent?" Kaede asked, earning a nod of confirmation from the brown-haired teen.

"Yes, she used her love for games as a way to get closer to each of her classmates, and I think you can do something similar here, Akamatsu-san."

After speaking his feet moved him closer to the massive piano resting on the room, something that ended with him putting a hand over the surface of the instrument, with his fingers easily feeling the smooth material.

"I'm actually a bit jealous of you, Akamatsu-san." He spoke with honesty, earning a surprised look from the blonde in question.

"Me? B-but why?" She asked confused, honestly having no idea as to why someone like him would be jealous of her.

"Because with your talent I think you can reach out to them in your own special way." He explained with a smile "You once told me that the reason you played the piano was so that you could see everyone's smile. The fact that you can do that with your talent is nothing short of admirable!"

Smiling warmly at the girl, he realized he might have gone a bit over the top once he saw her blushing from what he assumed was only embarrassment from having someone praising her like that.

"But I mean, that's just what I believe." He was quick to try and get back on his tracks right while he scratched his cheek with his finger in a self-conscious way. "Just… if it is Akamatsu-san the one playing to them then, I'm sure even Oma-kun will understand where you're coming from."

Instead of embarrassment the ahoge-girl now seemed deep in thought while looking down. She was even chewing her lip, although her focused state only lasted for a few seconds before an excited, happy smile slowly formed on her lips.

Her eyes even started sparkling, something that by now both Makoto and Shuichi knew it happened whenever the girl got caught with thoughts about her art.

It beat seeing her down or frustrated though, so both Lucksters could only smile at such a sight.

"I think I understand…" She declared with a firm nod. "If it is with my music then… I won't fail this time!"

"That's more like it!" He certainly knew the type of power music could have over people, after all, it simply came with being friend with individuals like the Ultimate Pop Sensation and the Ultimate Musician.

"Thank you, senpai." The blonde spoke with honest appreciation towards the older Ultimate "I didn't want to bother you with this but… I'm glad for your advice."

He could only shake his head at her, with his brown orbs going from the Pianist to the other Ultimate in the room.

"It isn't me that you should be thanking, Akamatsu-san, but rather Momota-kun and Saihara-kun here." His words got the blonde to look to her side, or to be more precise, towards the grey-eyed Luckster. "They were the one that noticed you looked down and decided to help, after all."

"It wasn't really much…" It seemed it was now Shuichi's time to be flustered if the way he was trying to hide his burning cheeks was anything to go by.

"Thank you, Saihara-kun!" However, Kaede's heartfelt words only made it even worse for the younger Luckster, who was now trying to hide by readjusting the hat resting on his head. Said action only got a chuckle from Makoto and a small giggle from Kaede however, something that didn't help Shuichi's situation.

"And you aren't a bother at all, neither of you is for that matter," The time-traveler was quick to declare. "So if you ever need me for anything, please don't hesitate."

He truly meant that, after all while the thought of a whole class being dependent on him was more than a little scary, he had already grown too fond of the class to simply ignore them. That, and he would prefer it if he knew about anything that might be bothering any of them.

After all, an issue might start small, but you never knew from where Despair could be born.

"Now c'mon, Saihara-kun. I think Akamatsu-san here needs to focus a bit by herself." The Luckster continued before walking towards the boy that had the same talent as him, and while said boy seemed surprised for a second he quickly understood what Makoto was trying to do, to which he could only smile slightly.

It seemed Kaede understood too, or at least she knew that whatever the two would talk about was something only meant for the two Lucksters.

Sure, she knew that there was something that kept bothering her hat-wearing classmate, but she still didn't know any details about it. She definitely wanted to know in the future though, but right now she knew better than to force it out of the young man.

The only thing she was able to figure out was that as far as it came to one Saihara Shuichi, whenever his talent came into question he always seemed to dislike it.

She was just glad at least he had someone like Makoto to talk to. Of course she also knew about the other Luckster of the school but apparently Shuichi wasn't particularly fond of that one for reasons beyond her.

Komaeda Nagito seemed nice enough, to her at least.

"Good luck with your project, Akamatsu-san. I'll be sure to talk to Oma-kun too to try and calm him down a bit." And it was with those parting words from Makoto, alongside a small goodbye from the Luckster of her class that the young girl was left alone in her Research Lab with an enthusiastic smile on her lips and a mission on her head.

Time to do what she loved.

* * *

"You're still having issues with your talent, aren't you?"

It was a straightforward question that really didn't leave much room for anything else besides a straightforward answer, and normally he wouldn't be one to ask it in such an abrupt way, but by now he knew that sometimes the more forceful approach was best when it came so one Saihara Shuichi.

He knew this was a touchy subject for the younger Ultimate, which was why he had decided to move to a place where they could be by themselves. They were actually outside of the main school right now, in the outside hallway that connected both the Main Course building with the Reserve Course one, a spot which Makoto knew almost no one crossed, at least at this hour.

Leaning on the rail behind him and with his arms crossed over his chest, he could only give Shuichi a face full of seriousness. He was a patient one, and now that he had asked he knew the ball was now on Shuichi's side.

And to be honest a part of him felt more responsible about the Luckster in front of him than with the rest of his classmates. Sure, helping the class as a whole was his duty, but Shuichi was different from his classmates in that regard.

After all, not only were their talents the same, but there was also the fact that he had been the one to personally convince the young man of joining Hope's Peak Academy even after said young man had rejected the invitation not once, but _twice_.

"You…really worry too much about that, senpai." That ended up being Shuichi's response, with his grey eyes looking at everything except Makoto's eyes "Was Komaeda-senpai like this with you?"

"That's… different." That was honestly the only response he could muster, after all, thinking of his initial relationship with the older Luckster only brought an uneasy smile.

At least his relationship with said Luckster had now improved a lot. Maybe _too_ much if he had to be honest though.

"And don't try to change the subject here, Saihara-kun." He quickly got back at the matter at hand though. "If even Momota-kun and Akamatsu-san noticed it then…"

Those words got Shuichi to wince a bit; honestly upset at himself by the fact that some of his classmates had apparently caught on his personal issues when it came to his title as Ultimate Lucky Student.

"I'm just... wondering if I really should have accepted coming here after all." Shuichi ended up muttering to himself, barely high enough so that Makoto could hear his words.

"I know having Luck as talent isn't the most glamorous thing, but…" The time-traveler started, but his words only got a shake from Shuichi's head.

"It's not that, I just…" Shuichi seemed to struggle with himself in order to find the correct words, his silver eyes still glued to the floor "I don't know what the point of me being here is. With Komaeda-senpai and you… Surely there has to be someone out there that has better _luck_ than me."

A small silence covered the two after those words were spoken. Shuichi seemed more than just fine with looking down at the floor, while it took a few seconds for Makoto to find the proper words to address the younger Luckster.

"Saihara-kun, I honestly think that from the three of us you're the most exceptional one." His sudden declaration got a wide-eyed stare from Shuichi, who could only look at Makoto as if he had lost his head.

The brown-haired teen pressed on though, knowing that his next words weren't one that Shuichi would enjoy.

"You're right about Komaeda-senpai's Luck being more than impressive, I don't think mine can even compare to his… But when it comes to you, you have something even more impressive than that, don't you? After all, you're also-"

"Please don't!" Makoto was forced to stop himself, however, as a result of Shuichi's tired voice. "We both know that isn't true."

He could only sigh at his reaction. It wasn't a surprising one for he knew he had touched quite the subject, but even so, it wasn't one that he liked.

His response though, got him right where Makoto wanted him.

"If you want to keep denying that then there isn't much I can do about that." Makoto talked once more, his face still one of seriousness. "But then that just means that it was your luck that got you to solve those cases. Isn't that amazing enough? The fact that you can use your talent to reach the truth, that's nothing short of impressive, Saihara-kun."

"But is it even worth it?" Shuichi still seemed less than convinced, although at least now he was matching Makoto's stare, with serious brown meeting confused grey. "I was lucky and figured out a few crimes but… What's the point if figuring out the truth isn't worth it in the first place?"

"That's where you're wrong, Saihara-kun." It was now a smile that appeared on Makoto's lips, one that only got a surprised look from the detective-in-training.

It was a smile filled with pain and melancholy just while his eyes showed nothing but understanding.

After all, he certainly knew how one Saihara Shuichi was feeling. He knew how painful the truth could be.

To accept that the girl you trusted had tried to set you up as the culprit of a murder.

To find out that you had lost years worth of memories.

To learn that the world you knew had been turned into nothing but shambles.

And to time and time again having to figure out just which of his friends had decided to end the life of another one, all under the game of a monster bear and its twisted creator.

He knew how hard it was to learn the ugly truth. Sometimes you just wanted to close your eyes and pretend everything was fine and that it was all a lie. Sometimes you just preferred the happy lies over the harsh truth, and he couldn't blame Shuichi for preferring it that way.

But he couldn't accept such a mentality. He simply refused, for how was someone supposed to keep moving forward if he was blinded by his fears?

"I know the truth can be scary sometimes, and most of the times the result we get isn't what we were expecting." He spoke slowly while still doing his best to smile at the younger ahoge-boy. "But just ignoring the facts because we don't like them… That wouldn't be fair to neither you nor anyone involved."

"And I really do mean what I said," He continued before putting a hand on Shuichi's shoulder. "Either luck or skill, but unlike me, you can use your abilities to help others, Saihara-kun. That's nothing short of admirable if you ask me."

He watched as Shuichi seemed lost for words after his small speech, with the black-haired teen moving his gaze to look down at the floor once more, and while for just a moment Makoto thought that he would be ignored the fact that Shuichi raised his head to match his gaze ended up telling him otherwise.

The response he got from Shuichi though, ended up being nothing but a nod of acknowledgment. Sure, it didn't sound like much, but to him, it was enough to make him smile proudly without even realizing it.

Was he playing favorites when it came to his underclassmen? Probably, but was it so bad to want to make sure that the Luckster to come would be able to survive the craziness that was Hope's Peak Academy?

* * *

 **First of all, proper thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for helping me with this chapter! It would be a mess without them.**

 **I'll admit that I don't feel particularly proud of this chapter. One of the reasons for that is that it is a bit rushed as a result of college finally starting and me wanting to put out one last chapter before that, since after this one chapter will start being a bit more different and more plot-related.**

 **If the focus of this first batch of chapters was to show a glimpse of Makoto's current lifestyle, next ones will be a glimpse of his actions as a time-traveler.**

 **Apparently, it was obvious enough but yes, Shuichi Saihara is the Lucky Student for his group, but I truly meant when I said that his original talent is not just forgotten since that will come into play at one point. One review said Rantaro though, so kudos to you since that was honestly going to be my original idea.**

 **I apologize since this chapter doesn't have the same amount of comedy as the previous one, although I honestly didn't think the last one was particularly good on that aspect either but you guys loved Yasuke enough, which is great since I loved writing him.**

 **Thank you all once more for having read this far and for all your favs/follows and reviews. I'll make sure for the next chapter to be better, especially since it is an important one.**

 **Next Chapter: Izuru Kamukura Project.**


	7. A Different Path To The Future

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama**

 **There seemed to be some issues with the site which forced me to bring the chapter down after uploading it. Sorry for the inconvinience everyone!**

 **Chapter 6**

 **A Different Path To The Future**

The first time they met, the only thought that went through his mind was how unremarkable the boy was.

It might sound rude, but it was just the honest truth. Besides how small he was and the strand of hair sticking up from his head like a spike, there wasn't anything particularly special about him that he could see at first glance.

And deep down inside he knew that if they had met in any other place he would have probably forgotten about him in less than a day.

Such a thing never happened however, and he was more than sure that even if he tried right now he would never be able to just forget about him.

And it wasn't just because he saw him almost daily, but rather because the boy was simply someone hard to forget about once he got to know him.

He doubted he would ever be able to forget that year.

It was his first year in Hope's Peak Academy.

It was the year in which he met the girl that loved video games.

The year in which he finally found his own worth.

And of course it just so happened to be the year that he met Naegi Makoto.

* * *

" _Are you….lost or something?" The doubt in his voice was more than obvious, something that matched perfectly with the frown that had formed on his face as a result of what his eyes were seeing._

 _It wasn't an amazing sight by any stretch of the word, and if he had to honestly describe it he would say that it was just a mildly weird one._

 _Why? Well considering how early it was he simply didn't expect to find anyone inside the classroom, especially considering he was always the first one to arrive._

 _The fact that said person had been looking at one of the windows of the classroom as if it was some sort of weird treasure just made it weirder. It didn't help that he didn't recognize the boy either._

 _That was the best word he could use to describe him though, after all he was more than sure that the brown-haired teen standing on the opposite side of the room was younger than him, at least by a couple of years if he had to guess based on his height. That or he was just on the lower side when it came to height._

" _Ah…? That's, well…"_

 _Now he could also add 'shy' to the description of the brown-haired teen, or at least that's the conclusion he got from the nervous and surprised mumbling he got as a response._

 _Said whispers however, stopped immediately once the kid turned around properly, allowing his own gaze to match the brown eyes of the unknown teen._

 _That gaze confused him though, and in fact it even made him feel a bit nervous somehow. He saw as his eyes widened for just a second, almost as if he had realized something, and even his mouth opened in what he could only guess was surprise._

 _Surprise for what, he could only guess. He was more than sure that there was nothing wrong with his own appearance, although he ended up just moving a hand through his own brown hair just to make sure nothing was out of place._

 _But as fun as it was to have a staring contest with some unknown kid, he would still prefer it a lot if he stopped looking at him with such an expression. It was almost as of the shorter boy was trying to look right at his soul or something._

 _It was hard to explain it, but he just knew he didn't like it._

 _He ended up coughing into his fist just to try and get him to stop whatever he was doing. It somehow seemed to work in his favor, since the kid's next action was to suddenly shake his head, with the glazed stare he had before now turning into a friendly smile._

 _There was still something in his eyes though, a small glint of familiarity that honestly had him on edge more than he would like to admit. He wasn't the best when it came to reading people or anything like that, but it was almost as if the kid in front of him was wearing his heart on his sleeve with the way his eyes shined with emotion._

 _Why was he looking at him as if they were reuniting after years was simply beyond him since he certainly didn't remember ever knowing anyone like this._

" _I'm sorry; I was just checking the classrooms and ended up getting lost in my head."_

" _I see…"_

 _Something told him that wasn't what one would call the truth, but he wasn't just going to start playing interrogation with a complete stranger that looked as inoffensive as a bunny._

" _You're a new student, then?"_

 _But even so, he still went and asked such a thing, even though the answer was obvious enough. The kid was certainly not a teacher after all, and as far as he knew someone shouldn't have been allowed here by themselves if they weren't a student._

" _W-well, I'm thinking of joining next year actually, but they told me I could come and check the place before making a decision."_

 _Such a response only got him to raise an eyebrow in doubt. Sure, it sounded plausible enough, but why was he alone then? Shouldn't there be someone giving him a tour or anything if that was the case?_

" _The teacher that was supposed to guide me got called away all of a sudden, so they told me I could be by myself for a while."_

 _Almost as if the shorter teen had heard his mind he answered without missing a beat, to which he ended up just nodding in acceptance. It was hard to argue something considering the kind of place they were currently in, so it wasn't like he could label the kid as an intruder or anything._

" _You should probably leave the classroom then since classes are about to start."_

 _He warned in the evenest tone he could muster right before moving to his seat to leave his schoolbag. In the end he wasn't responsible for whatever the younger teen did, so it wasn't like he really needed to care much about his reasons for being here or not._

" _Thanks…"_

 _He heard the muttering from the boy, something that he honestly thought would be the last thing he would hear from him. He even heard the sound of his shoes hitting the floor, something that he assumed was just the result of the younger boy finally leaving._

 _It wasn't the case however, for he suddenly was more than aware of the presence of the brown-haired kid right beside his seat. His moved his gaze towards him, honestly wondering what else could he want from him._

" _I-I was just wondering if you could show me around the place… I mean, I don't want to get lost and you're the only one I know here."_

 _He wasn't able to control the incredulous expression that he was sure appeared on his face. Wasn't that a bit of a stretch considering they only just met barely five minutes ago? Surely he could just wait for someone from the faculty to give him the tour he wanted so much._

" _I don't mean right now though! But maybe after class…"_

 _The hopeful smile he received with those words left him more than a bit surprised, and something in the back of his head told him that it would only be a pain if he actually went along with it._

 _But he knew how scary this place could be, especially for a newcomer. He was sure that there were better people out there to do such a duty, but it wasn't like he didn't have the time between classes to do it either._

 _Not like he had any friends here to keep him busy during those times, anyway._

 _But even so he gave the still smiling kid a narrowed gaze before sighing a bit. Something told him that he would regret it as soon as he said yes, but what was he supposed to do when he was being looked like that? It was almost like a puppy begging to be taken out for a walk or something._

" _Sure…"_

 _He ended up answering slowly and with less confidence that he would have liked to show, but even so his response seemed to be enough if the way the kid's brown eyes suddenly lit up in obvious delight._

 _He almost got blinded by it to the point that he honestly had to look the other way. Wasn't it too early to be_ that _happy?_

" _I'll wait for you outside then! Thank you for your help, Hi-"_

 _His eyes moved back to the boy in question as soon as he noticed the small slip that escaped his lips. His brow furrowed in response, but before he got the time to ask what that had been about, the younger boy ended up just thrusting his right hand in front of him while an awkward smile formed on his face._

" _S-sorry, I think I forgot to introduce myself."_

 _He'd honestly forgotten to do that too, although in his defense he didn't expect to be dragged into giving a tour to someone he only met a few minutes ago._

" _I'm Naegi Makoto, I'll be in your care!"_

 _Naegi Makoto, huh? Certainly a name he didn't recognize, but just like with the kid having said name it sounded inoffensive enough._

" _Hinata Hajime, first year."_

 _He ended up grasping Makoto's hand in a handshake, one that gave the younger brown-haired teen a smile, which he did his best to return, albeit in a smaller fashion._

 _Even so, his gaze still trailed on the shorter kid until he left the classroom, leaving him alone with his thoughts until the rest of his classmates or the teacher came._

" _And welcome to the Reserve Course..."_

 _He ended up muttering under his breath, glad that no one was able to hear the bitterness that had leaked in his tone._

 _This was going to be a long year, wasn't it?_

* * *

 _Sleep was a student's source of strength._

 _That was a universal fact, pretty much a law of society that everyone recognized._

 _And for those that dared to interrupt a student from the primordial act of resting should be exiled to the darkest corner of the world._

 _But if that was the case then…_

" _Hinata-kun…Hinata-kun!"_

 _Why in the name of everything that was holy was he being woken up so suddenly?_

 _He could only groan in annoyance as not only the sound of someone calling out his name, but also the feeling of that someone touching his shoulder, became enough to get his conscious back into the land of the living._

 _He raises his head slowly from its resting spot between his arms and on his desk and slowly, but surely, he turned his head to the side to watch the boy responsible for waking him up with a half-lidded stare._

" _What…?" He asked groggily, his gaze pretty much making a hole in the head of the smiling boy to his side._

 _And he honestly didn't know what annoyed him the most right there, the fact that someone woke him up or that the person responsible for doing so was sporting such a carefree smile as if he had done nothing wrong._

 _But then again, it is something that he had grown used to seeing on Naegi Makoto's face. Hard not to after a month of having the younger ahoge-haired boy around him._

 _You would think that after their initial meeting he wouldn't be seeing Makoto until the next school year, but the brown-haired teen seemed to like to prove him wrong if him coming to the Reserve Course was evidence of anything._

 _It was weird at first if he had to be honest…No, scratch that, it was still quite weird even after a month. How much free time could Makoto have to the point that he could come to a place like Hope's Peak Academy's Reserve Course almost every day?_

 _And even ignoring that question, the fact that alone that Makoto was allowed inside the walls of Hope' Peak just like that even though he wasn't a student yet was even weirder if you asked him._

" _Isn't it alright? I just wanted to thank Hajime-kun for his help before." and "They told me it was fine though." Were the type of answers he got whenever he brought the subject up with Makoto._

 _Something told him that there was more to it than that, but it was hard to just go around suspecting someone so…harmless if he had to put it in words, like Makoto._

 _That didn't mean he liked being woken up from his nap however._

" _Hinata-kun…" The concern in Makoto's voice was easily noticeable by him "You look like you haven't been sleeping in days…"_

" _I don't want to hear that from the guy that somehow has even bigger bags under his eyes than everyone else I know." He answered with a sigh as he massaged the bridge of his nose._

 _It wasn't like he was trying to be rude or anything, after all by now he knew that Makoto was just being his concerned self, but how was he supposed to move on from the Reserve Course if he didn't try his best every day?_

 _What were a few sleepless nights compared to that?_

 _And he wasn't kidding either when it came to Makoto. He had no idea what the younger ahoge-haired boy did when he wasn't here, but he honestly looked like he hadn't slept for_ weeks _._

" _I've just been a bit busy." And just like every time he brought up that subject, Makoto was quick to give him the same answer with the best smile he could muster. It was one filled with tiredness however._

" _Why did you wake me up anyway?" He asked while rubbing his head, deciding to get back to the topic at hand. He certainly hoped Makoto would give him a valid enough reason, cause if not then half of him was already feeling like going back to rest his head on his desk._

" _Nanami-san is looking for you but she seemed a bit lost, so I told her I could come and get you."_

 _It took him almost a full minute to understand the words that had escaped Makoto's lips, with his eyes looking at the shorter kid as if he had suddenly grown a second head or something._

 _He blinked owlishly at the younger ahoge-haired boy for what felt like an eternity, even if it was just a few seconds that passed between them. In the end though, his lips finally moved, with the word that slipped through them being the most eloquent one his mind could muster at the moment._

" _What?"_

 _Truly, a quote for the ages._

 _The answer he got, however, was not a verbal one, but rather an action, with said action being Makoto pretty much dragging him away from the by now empty classroom with the apparent intention of bringing him to this Nanami fellow._

 _Of course, he knew someone by that last name, but in his mind there was just no way that it would be_ her _the one that was calling him. Was this some sort of prank then? Makoto never struck him as the kind of guy to do such a thing, but one never knew, especially since he had never told the younger boy about his meeting with that girl._

 _He was so caught up in his thoughts that he barely even felt the many pairs of eyes that were following him just as he was being dragged through the hallways by Makoto. Such a thing wouldn't surprise him by now anyway, after all it wasn't that much of a secret that a lot of the Reserve Course students were more than a little amused by his relationship with Naegi Makoto._

 _Did he found it annoying that people seemed to think they were glued to the hip or something? More than a bit, yeah, but besides just grumbling about it there wasn't much he could do. His attempts at pushing Makoto away had died on pretty much day one anyway._

 _Who the hell could blame him anyway, it almost felt like kicking a damn puppy or something!_

" _Ah! Hinata-kun, Naegi-kun…"_

 _However, whatever thoughts he might have had about this being some sort of weird misunderstanding were swept away the moment his brown orbs were met by a pair of light pink eyes._

 _With their new location being a small park surrounded by flowers with stone seats at each side and a statue of the founder of the school, his attention focused on the girl standing to the side of the bronze statue._

 _There was definitely no mistake there, even though a part of him felt like rubbing his eyes just to make sure. Nanami Chiaki stood in front of him while sporting a small smile, with her arms resting at her sides while one of her hands was still holding one of her prized consoles._

 _And considering that he knew who she was, or rather the title that she had, he couldn't say that he was surprised by that fact._

" _Nanami…" He started slowly and with a frown, not even noticing that Makoto simply moved to the side with how much attention he was paying to the light pink-haired girl. "What are you doing here?"_

 _It sounded like an odd question, especially when the answer seemed obvious enough, but in his mind there just wasn't a valid reason for someone like her to come to the Reserve Course._

" _I told you I would come to visit you and play for a bit." The girl spoke with a tone that made it sound as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, until she tilted her head slightly to the side that is "Or at least I think I did… Didn't I do it?"_

 _No no, he could certainly remember her saying something like that a few days back after they met outside of the school, but he just thought that she wouldn't actually bother with it._

 _Surely someone like Nanami Chiaki, the Ultimate Gamer, had better things to do than to go out of her way to just come visit someone from the Reserve Course of all things._

 _But considering that the girl was still standing in front of him, that apparently wasn't true._

" _I…" He spoke once more with a frown still present on his face while doing his best to come up with the right words. "Don't think you should be here…"_

" _Why?" His blunt statement simply got an equally blunt question from the Ultimate Gamer, who instead of looking offended simply looked up at him with nothing but curiosity in her gaze._

 _He opened his mouth to answer her, but just as he did that he closes it once more. What was he supposed to say anyway? That someone like her from the Main Course shouldn't waste her time by coming to the Reserve Course, let alone interacting with someone like him? He had already tried that and it obviously fell on deaf ears._

 _Still struggling with himself, he was saved from having to answer immediately by movement from the corner of his eyes. Turning his focus a bit to the side, something that Chiaki actually ended up copying, his gaze ended up landing on the third member of the trio who had been silent so far._

 _But by the way he seemed to want to say something it was obvious that he wouldn't remind silent for much longer, something that actually brought him a wave of relief. Surely someone like Makoto shared his opinion on this matter, and if Makoto helped him here then maybe they would be able to convince the Ultimate properly…_

" _I don't think there's anything wrong with Nanami-san being here though."_

… _Or maybe not._

 _And obviously the frown of confusion on his face must have told a lot about his feelings if the way Makoto moved quickly to explain was any indication._

" _I mean, Nanami-san obviously wants to be here because she considers you her friend, right?" Even though he was looking straight at Makoto he was still able to see the Ultimate in question bobbing her head in approval from the corner of his eyes. "I don't see what the problem is then."_

' _I'll tell you what the problem is.' He thought bitterly before opening his mouth to speak once more, but he was beaten to the punch by Makoto._

" _I don't think something like talent should get in the way of making friends."_

 _He closed his mouth instantly at those words, now honestly wondering if Naegi Makoto was able to read minds or something. The way he spoke so easily about talent though, was something that also confused him to no end._

 _It was the first time he heard anyone related to the Reserve Course talking like that about it. Talent was almost a taboo subject among those walls, for everyone there understood their place in Hope's Peak Academy._

 _And yet with the way Makoto spoke it was almost as if he thought that having a talent worthy of the title of Ultimate meant little._

 _He was sure that if someone asked if it mattered or not to anyone from the Reserve Course, the answer would be more than obvious._

" _Hinata-kun is Hinata-kun. Talent or not, it doesn't really matter." It was then that Chiaki followed suit with her own words. "That's what I think, at least…"_

 _And then the two of them smiled at him to the point that he honestly had to wonder if this had been their plan all along. He could only move his gaze from one pair of eyes to the other in an almost robotically fashion._

" _You two…" He whispered under his breath, honestly not knowing how to handle the smiling Ultimate and the equally happy outsider. In the end though he simply sat on the stone seat that was behind him, a sigh leaving his lips just as he made contact with the rocky surface._

" _Let's play, Hinata-kun." He was forced to look up though, once Chiaki offered him the console on her hand to him with a smile still on her lips._

 _His eyes went from her smile to the console in her hands. By now he knew how much she loved her Nantendo Game Girl Advance, and on the screen of said console he could see the title of a game he recognized quite easily too: Gala Omega. The same game she had been playing the first time they met._

 _His right hand twitched in his lap just as he suddenly found himself biting his lip without noticing it. He would be lying if he said that a part of him didn't want to accept the offer, but such thoughts were quickly vanished by feelings of inadequacy that plagued his heart._

 _Maybe at one point in the future, once he could stand at the same level as her, once he obtained something as valuable as a talent he would be able to accept such an offer without doubt, but right now…_

" _I'm sorry."_

 _He whispered just as he suddenly stood up with his eyes still glued to the ground, almost as if fearing what would happen if he were to lock gazes with anyone._

 _And then without saying anything else he simply moved back in the direction of his classroom. To this place that was almost the halfway point between the Main and the Reserve Course, he walked back to the place in which he felt that he belonged, even if such a thought was enough to make him greet his teeth._

 _He ignored the calls of both Chiaki and Makoto and simply walked without stopping even once, only one thought appearing repeatedly in his mind._

' _Maybe one day…'_

 _But that day wasn't today._

* * *

" _So you still haven't decided…"_

 _The next time he found himself in that same place was a month after that day._

 _The difference this time, however, was that he wasn't being accompanied by the Ultimate Gamer, Nanami Chiaki, or by the younger ahoge-haired boy that he had come to think of as a friend, Naegi Makoto._

 _But instead, the one sitting right beside him was a man that looked old enough to be his grandfather._

" _I'm sorry." He spoke with honest regret, his gaze lowered. "I just need a bit more of time, Tengan-san."_

 _Tengan Kazuo, the former Headmaster of Hope' Peak Academy, simply looked to his side and gave the conflicted young man a grandfatherly smile._

" _While I would like to give you as much time as needed, I do have to remind you that the deadline is coming up soon." He spoke in a soft tone, getting a nod of understanding from him. "One month is the best I can give you… if you don't have your answer by then, then we will be forced to seek other options."_

 _He gulped, knowing what such a thing meant. Even though he tried his damn best every day at the Reserve Course, with the way things were going this would be his first and last year attending Hope's Peak Academy._

 _His family simply couldn't afford the high fees that the school demanded, but with someone like him that didn't have any talent to feel proud of, using money was the only way he could have entered the place he admired so much._

 _However, if he accepted the proposal then…!_

" _Do you want my honest opinion, young man?" Kazuo's words were enough to earn his attention, with him giving the old man a look of confusion followed by a doubtful nod, honestly concerned about what the man would say about his situation._

" _As an adviser to the school, I shouldn't say this, but I am not particularly in favor of that project. Because hope comes from people acting like people. If you don't want it, you can always decline the proposal, Hinata Hajime-kun."_

" _How can you say that?!" He stood up abruptly, a glare formed in his eyes just as he looked down at the still sitting former Headmaster. "This might be my only way of becoming someone! If I don't accept it then, I would never be able to…"_

" _And yet here you are, still with an unclear mind." Kazuo spoke softly once more just before standing up. His hand ended up resting on his shoulder, with the ahoge-haired boy simply glaring down with his fist clenched tightly at his side._

" _Do not fear normalcy, my boy. There is no shame in living such a life. It is something that even some of the Main Course students would gladly do if they could."_

 _And with those parting words, the former Headmaster left the Reserve Course student alone with his thoughts._

 _He ended up sitting once more after his legs simply gave out on him as a result of his tiredness. That was a good way of describing how he felt right now after all: Tired._

 _He was just sick of it. Of his doubts about the program, of his own ineptitude, of his lack of talent and on the burden he had put on his family just for his selfish desires._

 _To put it in short words: He was tired of_ himself _._

" _Hinata-kun!"_

 _Luckily for him though, he was saved from being caught with his own thoughts for much longer thanks to the sudden call of a voice he recognized very well._

 _He raised his head slightly, his eyes meeting the brown orbs of the only friend he actually had in the Reserve Course._

 _Which was saying a lot considering that the younger ahoge-haired boy didn't even study here yet._

" _Makoto…" He said softly with a nod just as the brown-haired teen walked closer to him. He had told him that there was something that he needed to do by himself, something that Makoto had seemingly accepted, but he was honestly glad that he had appeared just like that._

 _It beat being alone with his thoughts, that was for sure._

" _Did something happen…?" He could feel the worry in Makoto's voice, but he didn't feel like explaining it to him right now. Not that he could anyway, with how secret the whole thing was supposed to be "And who was that guy…?"_

" _Just a teacher asking for some stuff." He lied quickly, not wanting to involve Makoto with his issues. The younger teen seemed to accept his answer however, considering that he just sat beside him in silence as a response._

 _A tense silence fell between the two, one that he couldn't remember appearing every since their first meeting. Not even after his fallout with Chiaki had this happened, after all Makoto had been considered enough to simply act as if nothing had happened, even if he still looked bothered by it._

 _A sudden question appeared in his mind at that moment. Would Makoto accept the proposal if it was offered to him? In his mind there was just no reason to_ not _accept by now, but even so a part of him still found itself doubting the whole thing, almost as if feeling that something would go wrong if he just went along with it._

 _But with just one month he needed to get rid of that, for the sake of joining the Main Course._

" _Hinata-kun." Even after he started calling him by his first name, Makoto was still as polite as ever, something that by now he had grown used to. The serious tone Makoto was sporting though, was enough to easily gain his attention away from his conflicted thoughts._

" _I… understand wanting to keep things for yourself." The younger ahoge-haired boy spoke slowly, his gaze never leaving his own. "But seeing you like this, to the Hinata-kun that has been dealing with me even though you didn't have to, I just want to be able to help you even if it is for just a bit."_

 _Makoto's honest words were enough to get him to widen his eyes in surprise. He certainly didn't expect such a thing right now, that was for sure._

" _Even if it is just lending an ear, I'm always here to help you, Hinata-kun." Then Makoto's serious expression was replaced by an earnest smile "So please…"_

 _He gave Makoto one long look before simply sighing, his gaze once again moving down just as unconsciously moved his hand through his hair._

 _And it took what almost felt like an eternity of silence between the two, in which Makoto simply waited patiently, for his lips to finally start moving before he even realized it._

" _I'm just tired, Makoto…" He said with bitterness dripping from his voice. Bitterness that was solely aimed at himself. "I'm tired of being useless, I'm tired of being a nobody…! Why couldn't I have been born with a talent? To have something like that, that's the only thing I want, Makoto!"_

" _If I had a talent then…" His rising voice then slowly turned into nothing but a murmur. "Then maybe I could become more than just a lowly Reserve Course student."_

" _But you're already much more than that, Hinata-kun!"_

 _As soon as he finished his rant however, it was Makoto the one that spoke out of nowhere, followed by him suddenly standing up._

" _Talent or not, the Hinata-kun that I know, the one that has become my friend is already much more important that someone with a talent!"_

 _Makoto's words struck him deep in his heart to the point that his eyes widened in nothing but sheer shock and even his mouth was left hanging open as a result._

 _Not that Makoto was done, mind you._

" _Nanami-san and myself, we don't care if you don't have a talent. As long as Hinata-kun keeps being himself then, that's enough for us! Please stop treating yourself as if you didn't matter at all, Hinata-kun, because even without a talent the Hinata-kun I know is someone that can reach a future beyond anyone's expectation!"_

 _It was now Makoto the one left without breath after his speech, but every word that Makoto had said felt like a hammer hitting him right in his chest._

 _He released a shaky breath just as he lowered his gaze once more, not wanting for Makoto to see his eyes at that moment while his words kept replaying themselves in his mind._

 _Could he actually believe them? It wasn't like he thought of Makoto as a liar, but those words almost went against everything he believed. If he didn't have a talent then what was the point? What good was he, a lowly Reserve Course student?_

 _But here was this kid even younger than him, telling that it just didn't matter at all as long as he kept being himself? He should feel angry, a part of him truly felt as if he should feel angered by such a mentality._

 _And yet, right now, he could only feel hopeful. The part of him that still doubted accepting to go along with the project was begging him to accept Makoto's words. To accept Chiaki's friendship, to accept Makoto's belief in himself, could he actually do it just like that?_

 _No, the answer was just a no. There was no way that he could throw away every bit of self-doubt he had right now._

" _No, Makoto."_

 _However…_

" _Do you think you could apologize to Nanami for me...? For what happened last time, I mean."_

 _That didn't mean he couldn't start walking that path, one that in which he had worth._

" _I think Nanami-san would prefer to hear that from you instead of me, although I don't think she can actually get angry at anyone though."_

 _And to the smiling form of Makoto he could only smile slightly in return. Sure, it was a small smile, but it was one that showed something that had not been on him for a long time._

 _Such was hope, he supposed._

* * *

" _That's enough, Kuzuryu!"_

 _He wasn't one to get angry easily, or at least he didn't see himself like that. Annoyed? Yes. Bothered? Sure, but outright angry? Not unless the other party did something that truly deserved it._

 _And in his opinion, threatening his best friend was certainly more than enough._

" _Tch." The blonde in question, one Natsumi Kuzuryu, simply clicked her tongue in response, with the heated glare she had been aiming at the one in his hand now being aimed at him "Mind your own business, Hinata."_

" _The moment you start messing with Makoto it becomes my business, Kuzuryu." He answered swiftly however, not the least intimidated by her glare. "So are you going to back off or should I call sensei?"_

 _They glared at one another for what felt like an eternity, with neither of them wanting to be the first one to back down from their stare match. In the end, however, it was Natsumi the one that simply snorted before releasing her hold on certain ahoge-haired boy's hoodie, her legs then dragging her away from the two ahoge-sporting teens, although he didn't dare to move his gaze away from her until she was well out of his sight._

 _Said sight then moved to the one that looked as if he had been about to receive quite the beatdown from the blonde if he hadn't arrived earlier._

" _You alright there, Makoto?" He spoke with more than a bit of worry in his tone just as he moved closer to the shorter teen. It looked like he had arrived just in time, so he could only be glad that he had overheard other students about Natsumi dragging Makoto to such a secluded place._

" _Y-yeah." Was Makoto's response, although it was more than obvious that he was a bit shaken still. "Thank you, Hinata-kun… I actually think she was about to start using me as a punching bag."_

 _He could only snort in response, his hand moving to pat the younger teen on his back in the most calming way he could muster._

" _I would have been more surprised if she hadn't. She looked as angry as she can get." He said in an almost amazed tone. "Just what the hell did you do to get her so worked up like that?"_

 _Sure, Natsumi Kuzuryu was not one that he would describe as nice, but even as her classmate he had never seen her like that in the three weeks she had spent so far in the Reserve Course._

" _W-well…" At least Makoto had calmed down by now, or so it seemed. "I just wanted to talk to her about the things she kept saying between classes…"_

 _It only took him a couple of seconds to realize what Makoto was talking about, and once he did he released a sigh in response. Considering the type of stuff Natsumi liked to say he couldn't say that he was surprised that the blonde and Makoto didn't see eye to eye, but confronting her to the point that she looked as if she was about to kill him?_

 _Maybe Makoto had more guts than he thought him capable of._

" _And I'm going to take a guess and say that she didn't take that very well." In response to his words, Makoto simply shook his head, something that had him sighing once more._

 _It was a couple of minutes with nothing but silence that followed the two, with him only stopping patting Makoto's back one he looked better. Even so he would have to be blind to not notice that something was still bothering the younger teen, and that something obviously had to do with the blonde girl that had left angrily a few minutes ago._

" _What do you think about what she said, Hinata-kun?"_

 _Before he even got the time to ask him however, it was Makoto the one that interrogated him first in a curious tone. Of course he knew what Makoto meant by that, but why asking his opinion on the matter so suddenly?_

 _The answer came easily enough to him, however._

" _I think I admire her, at least a bit." Once he received another curiosity-filled look from Makoto he continued in order to explain it properly. "I mean, she said that she would do anything to become part of the Main Course…it sounds extreme but, that conviction… I guess I just find it admirable."_

 _He was simply saying the truth, after all he was someone that even with just a week left he still found himself without an answer for the project. Natsumi would probably accept such a thing in a heartbeat, he had concluded a long time ago, something that he couldn't help but feel jealous of._

" _I think I understand," Makoto said in return. "That drive of hers is definitely something else, but… To go as far as to say that there's nothing she wouldn't sacrifice to join the Main Course… I think that's wrong."_

" _There are some things that you should never give up." Makoto continued while smiling slightly towards him. "Even if the reward is earning a talent, I just don't think it's worth it."_

" _Like what?" While he understood from where Makoto was coming from, he still found himself asking him such a question. To the him that right now was still confused about the project, was he trying to find some sort of answer in his friend?_

 _He wasn't sure._

" _Well…" Makoto spoke once more while scratching his cheek, an action that by now he knew meant that he was a bit nervous. "If someone made me choose between having a talent and my friendship with Hinata-kun then… I don't think I would be able to choose the talent at all"_

 _Makoto's words were almost enough to make him choke on nothing but air, his eyes now looking at the brown-haired teen as if he had lost his mind. Why between all the possible examples, he had chosen something like_ that _?!_

" _Oi, stop saying weird things like that!" Damn it, he could even feel the heat coming to his cheeks out of sheer embarrassment. "You're going to give everyone the wrong idea, Makoto!"_

" _Oh…" Makoto for his part truly seemed as if he didn't get the issue. Not like his next words helped with his own embarrassment anyway._

" _I think I get why Nanami-san keeps calling you a tsundere now…"_

" _I am not!"_

 _And in response to him snapping Makoto could only release an amused chuckle._

 _If only the next days could have been as simple as this ones._

* * *

" _Hinata-kun!"_

 _He could barely understand that it was his name the one being yelled out._

 _But even if he had recognized it as such at that moment he doubted he would have done anything anyway._

" _Guh…!"_

 _After all, It was hard to offer a response when you had a fist firmly lodged in your stomach and close to no air in your lungs._

 _His already wobbly legs finally gave up on him, bringing his body down to the floor face first. He didn't even have enough strength to stop the fall with his arms._

 _Considering that he was feeling as if someone had slammed a hammer straight into his gut, he would like to think that his reaction was pretty much inside the realm of what was considered normal._

 _It didn't mean that he had to like being almost knocked out with just one punch however._

 _He did his best to look up from his place on the floor, with his eyes instantly glaring at the man responsible of leaving him in such a state, but said man offered nothing but a look of annoyance, almost as if he was looking down at nothing but a bug._

" _Hinata-kun!"_

 _He heard his name being called out once more, only that this time it was closer to the point that he was able to the recognize the voice, or rather the voices that were calling him._

 _The next thing he felt was two pair of arms doing their best to help him get up, and just in case their voices had not been enough he would be hard-pressed to know realize who it was that had come to his help._

 _Nanami Chiaki and Naegi Makoto._

 _In retrospective maybe coming to the Main Course to demand answers had not been the best decision he could have made, but it simply felt like something he had to do._

 _He needed answers, after all, answers as to why one of his classmates, Natsumi Kuzuryu, had suddenly left the Reserve Course. Yes, he couldn't say that they were close, but even so he truly admired the side of her willing to go so far to become an Ultimate, there was no denial in that._

 _So for someone like her to suddenly leave? There had to be something else, he just knew it._

 _Sadly he wasn't able to obtain answers in the Reserve Course, at least not from the teachers, but he knew there was something else going off. Natsumi wasn't the only one that suddenly left after all, but Sato, another classmate of his, had done the same._

 _And even if that wasn't weird enough, the fact that Makoto of all people seemed to know something about it only made the situation even more bizarre._

 _Makoto had refused to give him concrete answers however, and the only reason he was even sure that Makoto knew something was because, to put it bluntly, Makoto was a terrible liar._

 _But the fact that the younger teen had decided to hide something like that from him honestly hurt more than he would like to admit._

 _And that was one of the reasons he had decided to come to the Main Course section of the school. Sato had a friend here after all, and as far as he knew even Natsumi's brother studied here. One of them had to have the answers he needed, right?_

 _It seemed he would never know however, considering that he was already knocked down on the floor by just one punch by the guy in charge of security._

 _And if that day had ended right there and there, he would have been happy. No, happy would not be the correct term, but it would at least be a better alternative to the one he got as soon as the one that had punched him decided to speak once more._

 _And he honestly felt his world crumbling a bit with each word that escaped his lips._

" _Someone from the Reserve Course coming like this…You should know your place in this world better, kid. If you try something like this again then, to the likes of the Reserve Course students that can be easily replaced, I can't guarantee your safety…"_

 _He felt whatever bit of pride and self-confidence he had crumble with those words alone. Replaceable? His place in the world? Was he really supposed to just accept that kind of things to his face?_

 _But it seemed the man wasn't done however, only that this time the target of his words wasn't him, but rather the ones helping him._

" _Nanami Chiaki and Naegi Makoto. You two that have the title of Ultimates, I have no idea why you waste your time with someone from the Reserve Course… I better not see your little friend around anymore, or else not even you two will be able to protect him."_

 _Those last words felt as if someone had dropped nothing but cold water on him to the point that his body honestly shook in response. At that moment he didn't know if it was his frustration with himself, or the doubt that appeared in his heart towards the one he had proudly called a friend, but the first thing that he did as soon as he was able to stand up was to separate himself from both Chiaki and Makoto, with his gaze aimed down and his breathing as ragged as it could get._

" _What…did he mean by that, Makoto?" He asked in a rasped tone, his gaze moving up to look straight at the brown-haired teen, who looked like a deer caught in the spotlight._

" _Hinata-kun, that's just-"_

" _Is it true?" He interrupted him quickly, and he knew that the gaze that was in his eyes was almost a pleading one._

" _Hinata-kun, please…"_

" _Answer me!" He didn't want to yell, he honestly didn't mean too, but he just needed someone to give him a straight answer today. No, that wasn't quite right. He_ needed _an answer from him, he wanted to hear him from his lips that it was just a lie, a mistake, and that the past months had not been based on nothing but falsehood._

 _The answer he got, however, was not the one he wanted._

"… _Yes." Even though Makoto had whispered his response, he was still able to hear it loud and clear "I'm an Ultimate, just like Nanami-san here…"_

 _And suddenly, just like that, everything started to make sense in his head._

 _Of course Makoto could talk so easily about talent not mattering at all._

 _Of course he could just sprout stuff about there being more important things than having a talent._

 _Of course he acted as if being part of the Main Course wasn't that big of a deal._

 _Naegi Makoto was an Ultimate. Naegi Makoto had a talent. He was one that grew up with an ability that put him above the rest._

 _With someone like him, all the words that Makoto had said, weren't they all lies from someone that didn't know how to appreciate what he had? From someone that didn't understand what it was to just be a nobody?_

 _Honeyed words from someone of the Main Course just to keep those in the Reserve Course dancing to his tune. Like a stick with a carrot hanging from the end of it._

 _Was this how the Main Course got their fun from the Reserve Course? He had to know, even if it made him feel sick._

" _Did you know…?"_

 _His question was aimed at the girl to Makoto's side. Had she been a part of this whole thing? Was that all that their friendship was in the end? Nothing but a joke, a prank from a pair of bored Main Course students?_

 _And the moment she simply nodded quietly, he knew he had received his answer._

 _He turned around, feeling completely numb. It was his own fault, not theirs. It was his fault for believing in what they said. That guy was right, as long as he didn't have a talent he was just replaceable. A useless guy that could be used and discarded._

 _Only that this time, the truth came out before they could stop using him._

" _Hinata-kun, wait! Let me explain!"_

 _He heard Makoto's voice, but he was just tired of it. He didn't want to hear any more lies, not from himself, nor anyone and certainly not from them, so it was when he felt a hand suddenly grabbing his shoulder that he reacted with all the bitterness that felt as his fuel._

 _And with a yank of his arm, it was now Makoto the one on the ground while he himself sported a glare aimed down at him._

" _Stop looking down on me…" He pretty much hissed before storming off once more, not bothering to look back even when he heard both Chiaki and Makoto calling his name._

 _He didn't care, he just didn't. He didn't care about the shocked, regretful look that Makoto had given him from the floor, he truly didn't._

 _He only cared about one thing at that moment._

 _And that was to gain his talent._

* * *

" _Glad to see you made the correct choice, Hinata Hajime-kun."_

 _He could only nod silently at those words, not believing there was much that he could say in this kind of situation._

 _What was there to say in the first place anyway? That he was grateful for the opportunity? That he just wanted to start already? Right now he only wanted for things to follow his course. As long as the end path was him obtaining a talent then, nothing else mattered._

 _Yes, nothing else mattered, only gaining a talent and becoming someone that he could be proud of._

 _Someone that could look at his parents and see nothing but pride reflected back on their faces._

 _Someone that could show those from the Reserve Course that even a worthless guy like him could gain a talent worthy of joining the Main Course._

 _And of course…. Someone that could stand side by side with those two, as equals._

 _He raised his head slightly to look properly at the man that had lead him to this building inside Hope's Peak. The bald, suit-wearing man that looked to be in his forties was simply looking at him with a cold glance, showing little to no emotion._

 _Not even when he spoke did he sound happy about anything. It was as if the man wasn't really surprised by this outcome. Maybe he had really been a weird one for doubting so much on a sure way of obtaining a talent._

 _In the end he simply gave another nod to the man, one that he returned swiftly. No more words needed to be said between one another, for right now there was nothing that could stop him from doing this._

" _Hinata-kun, wait!"_

 _That didn't mean people wouldn't try, however._

 _He was stopped dead in his tracks by his name being called once more in a yell, one that by now he had become surprisingly used to hearing._

 _He saw the bald man in front of him also freezing with that yell, but his own attention was quick to move to the responsible ones of the act. He turned around, his brown eyes easily recognizing the tired form of the Ultimate that had apparently run here, even if the shine of the moon was his only source of light._

" _Makoto…?" A whisper left him just as he frowned at the sight of him, his mind trying to process just how he managed to get here. Even if you ignored just how utterly late it already was, how would he even know that he would be in this particular part of the school, and at this specific time?_

 _Now he was really starting to believe that Makoto had some sort of mind-reading ability. Either that or maybe it was an Ultimate thing?_

 _He wasn't going to bother with asking him something like that however, so when his lips parted it was to tell him to leave, to tell him that the next time they saw one another, things would be different, better. That he would be better._

 _But in a typical fashion that by now he had also grown used from Makoto, it was the brown-haired teen the one that beat him to the punch._

 _Honestly, if he got paid every time Makoto did something like that he could probably afford at least another year in the Reserve Course._

" _Please don't do this, Hinata-kun!"_

 _The desperation in his voice was even palpable to the point that he honestly felt shocked about it. He had never heard such a tone coming from Makoto. That, combined with the terrified look he had own his eyes certainly made for quite the sight._

" _I know what you're about to do, I know what they offered you." Makoto continued talking, and each word only left him even more confused. "But it's not worth it, Hinata-kun!"_

 _Those lasts words coming from Makoto though, were enough to make him glare at the younger teen._

" _How can you say that…?" He spoke between gritted teeth, frustration sipping in his tone "To say that it isn't worth it… Don't you see it? With this, I can obtain a talent, Makoto! I can stop being just a mere Reserve Course student, how can you say that it isn't worth it!"_

" _Because as long as you're with us, it doesn't matter if you aren't an Ultimate!" Makoto spoke with conviction once more, with his gaze then slowly turning softer just as ragged breaths escaped his lips._

" _I know the things that you could do if you went along with it." He continued in a voice that to him sounded as if he was reminiscing about things from the past, even though such a thing should be impossible. "And I admit, they are amazing things, but…If that means losing the Hinata-kun I know then, it simply doesn't matter to me!"_

" _Changing for the sake of talent…Isn't that a natural thing to do?" He hated the suddenly waver in his voice, but even so he refused to back down. He knew about the dangers, he had been informed by now, but they also told him that the risk would be kept to a minimum._

 _But even if that wasn't the case, wasn't it still just fine? To do anything for the sake of talent, wasn't that a mentality that he wanted to be able to follow without doubting?_

" _But not like this!" Makoto's tone changed once more to one that he had never heard before. He didn't know Makoto had it on him to sound so sure of himself, and definitely not to speak in such a commanding voice. "I know that what Hinata-kun wants the most is a talent that he can feel proud of, and to that I will do my best to help you! Even if it doesn't really matter to us, as long as that's Hinata-kun's wish then, I'll do my best to support you! But if it's done like this, with this project, you'll only end up regretting it!"_

 _His gaze wavered once more, to the heart that he believed by now had steeled itself to do what was necessary, why was he suddenly feeling compelled to just listen to the teen that was even younger than him? Between the offer of Hope's Peak itself and Makoto, who had been lying to him ever since day one, why did he found himself wanting to believe Makoto's words so much?_

" _Why do you care so much…?"_

 _Without even realizing it his lips moved on his own, and the question that left him only made Makoto smile at him, a smile that almost made him give a step back in surprise. It was one that looked as if it was aimed at an old friend after years without seeing each other, one that had him more confused than anything else._

 _How could Makoto look at him like that after only a few months of knowing each other?_

" _Because to the Hinata-kun that has already helped me to change my future for the better…How could I call myself your friend if I didn't try my best to do the same?"_

 _Did Makoto really value him that much? But why? He just didn't understand, he truly didn't. What could Makoto be seeing in him? Was this another lie? A trick maybe? But a part of him, the same that had kept him from accepting to go along with the project until today, wanted to believe that it wasn't a lie._

" _Empty words said by someone that is already sitting comfortably at the peak of the world just by having a talent. Believing such a thing from someone like him would be nothing short of foolish, Hinata Hajime-kun."_

 _Ah, he almost forgot that they weren't alone. The bald man spoke in a cold tone, completely dismissing everything that Makoto had said so far with the greatest of ease._

" _To you that don't have a talent, this is simply the only way for you to become someone worthy of changing the future."_

" _That's wrong!" But to the man's words Makoto was quick to offer his own rebuttal. "Because the Hinata-kun I know is someone that even without being an Ultimate is more than capable of doing things that no one else can! For you to say that he isn't worthy already… Aren't you just looking down on him without even knowing him at all?!"_

' _Stop looking down on me!'_

 _Weren't those the words that he had said to Makoto?_

 _And yet, why did it felt that right now, Makoto himself was the only one that wasn't doing that?_

 _He turned his head slowly once more in order to look at the member of Hope's Peak Steering Committee properly in the eyes. This time though, it was with doubt shinning in his brown orbs._

 _The man's response was almost immediate._

" _I want you to think carefully about your next course of actions, Hinata Hajime-kun, because to throw away an offer like mine can only be said to be idiotic."_

" _The one that should be thinking carefully in this situation is you, Shidou-kun, and no one else."_

 _It was a completely different voice the one that regarded the bald man to his side, one that him turning to the side from where two new individuals were walking calmly towards the building. Even ignoring the voice that he recognized, with just looking at them he was more than capable of identifying just who they were._

" _Tengan-san and…Headmaster Kirigiri?"_

 _It was the bald man, whose name was apparently Shidou, the one that confirmed their identities for him, although for what reasons both the former and current Headmaster would come here was simply beyond him._

" _Whatever could you mean by that, Tengan-san?" Even though Shidou's voice was still as cold as ever, he was still able to detect a hint of anger at his current predicament, showing that the appearance of the two was something that he hadn't predicted._

" _Let me put it in words that you can understand, Shidou." The one that spoke this time was Jin Kirigiri, someone that he honestly never had the pleasure of actually talking to. Maybe that was for the best though, considering the edge he had in his voice "This little pet project of yours? Consider it done as of right now."_

 _He could feel the tension growing with each passing second, to the point that the only thing that stopped him from moving away from Shidou's side was the fact that he would become the focus of those sharp gazes if he did._

" _You don't have the authority to do something like that, none of you do." Shidou responded as if the Headmaster's orders were of little value to him. "And you, Tengan-san, I thought you had already realized that this is a necessary path for the hope of the future."_

" _The hope of the future you say, shouldn't that be left to the young ones to decide instead of us?" Kazuo spoke in a soft tone just as he saw his eyes moving towards Makoto for just a second. "And I might not have much authority nowadays, but you shouldn't underestimate an old man like me, you know?"_

" _Human trafficking and illegal experimentations, you were never honest with me about what the project entailed, were you?" Kazuo continued, his words making his eyes go wide. Illegal? "I have to wonder how such things would be taken by the eyes of society if your involvement would end up getting leaked."_

" _You wouldn't dare." It was the first time he saw the man known as Shidou openly showing an emotion: anger, and if looks could kill he was sure everyone around would be dead already. "No one would believe you."_

" _I have my sources, Shidou, and I assure you I am more than willing to spill everything if I have to."_

" _You would ruin your own reputation too, Tengan-san! And even beyond that, the school-"_

" _Hope's Peak would survive!" Kazuo's voice suddenly gained an air of finality, almost as if his words were the law at that moment "I trust my successor to never let the school crumble, but as for the Steering Committee and myself… What is a bit of reputation to an old man such as myself? As long as I get to see the hope that the new students keep bringing to the world I wouldn't mind gaining a bit of bad press, but can you say the same, Shidou-kun?"_

 _Shidou was even trembling in rage by now, but to him that was standing to the man's side even though he was seeing everything happening with his own eyes it still felt more than a little surreal. He understood it by now though, that going with this man would have probably ended in something he would have regretted._

" _Go home, Shidou. We'll deal with this properly later." The current Headmaster cut the tension with his words of finality, but the only thing said words got was for Shidou to aim his glare at someone else._

 _Namely, the youngest one present._

" _You were just stalling for time, weren't you?" Shidou hissed towards Makoto, apparently coming to the conclusion that this was all Makoto's fault somehow, and with the smile that suddenly appeared on Makoto's lips he found it hard for blaming Shidou for getting to that conclusion._

 _Not that Makoto's words helped either._

" _I think I was just lucky in that regard."_

 _And before he knew it Shidou had simply left towards the inside of the building, while he was now being surrounded by an obviously relieved Makoto and two of Hope's Peak Headmasters._

" _I'll go make sure they don't destroy everything."_

 _And with those words, it was Kazuo the one that made to follow Shidou to the building. However, just like with his older counterpart, Kirigiri Jin also had a few words to say._

" _I want you in my office first thing in the morning. I believe there are some things we need to discuss."_

 _Those words were aimed solely at Makoto, who could only nod in acceptance at the ultimatum. He had to wonder though, just who was Naegi Makoto? Was he really someone that could just get the help of Hope's Peak Headmaster like that? How did Makoto know what would happen today?_

 _How someone that looked so inoffensive could be giving him such a massive headache._

 _It wasn't long before the current Headmaster left too however, leaving only him and Makoto by themselves._

 _The look Makoto gave him though, was one that told him that he understood what was going through his mind, so when he offered to explain a bit the only thing that he could do was to agree._

 _And withthat he followed the brown-haired Ultimate away from the building, not even once looking back at the place in which, if circumstances had been different, he would have been given a new life._

* * *

" _I'm so sorry for lying to you, Hinata-kun!"_

" _P-please stop doing that… If you start bowing like that then I fear I won't be able to stop the rumors from spreading even further!"_

 _Sure, it was practically the middle of the night so there was no chance of anyone finding them here, between the same flowerbed that served as a middle point between the Reserve and the Main Course, but it was still more than a little embarrassing._

" _I just…didn't want something like talent to get in the way… I didn't want for Hinata-kun to look at me differently because of something like that."_

 _Makoto's honest words of regret were still coming out however, to which he could only sigh in response. While he hated being lied to like that, he had to admit that Makoto had a point there. If he had known Makoto was an Ultimate the first time they met, he really doubted he would have kept being around him._

" _But I never thought of Hinata-kun as someone below me! In fact, Hinata-kun is some that I admire!"_

" _Fine fine, I get it alright? Just calm down a bit." He did his best to stop the younger teen from saying even more weird things like that, but Makoto still didn't seem to be finished._

" _And please don't get angry at Nanami-san! She only kept the secret because I begged her to, but ever since that she has only been worried about you."_

 _He nodded once more at those words, simply deciding to accept them. He knew he would have to face Chiaki properly soon enough, but it beat just staying angry at her._

" _I meant what I said though."_

 _Makoto spoke once again, this time with the same conviction that he had shown him just before, something that instantly made him interested in what he was about to say._

" _For the sake of Hinata-kun that wants to find his own worth. No, for the sake of everyone at the Reserve Course that doesn't want to be labeled just as such, I want to help all of you as much as I can!"_

 _He felt like asking him once more why he cared so much about the Reserve Course like that, especially considering that he was from the Main Course, but before he was given the time to do that, it was Makoto the one that extended his hand towards him while a smile that could only be described as hopeful formed in his face._

" _But that's something I can't do by myself, so that's why, even though I would understand if you didn't trust me anymore, Hinata-kun, please…!"_

 _And the words that finished that declaration would be the ones that opened a new path towards his future._

" _Help me shorten the distance between the two Courses!"_

* * *

"You… I still wonder how you get enough time to come here almost every day…"

"W-well, I just want to make sure that Hinata-kun isn't working himself too much like before…"

"Again, I won't accept something like that coming from someone that looks like a zombie most of the time." Hajime spoke while offering a wry smile towards the Luckster to his side, who could only chuckle in response at such words.

"I still think you have it harder though." He said with honesty, but to that Hajime simply snorted.

"Sure, Kuzuryu is a handful most of the times, and not everyone is being particularly cooperative." The older teen spoke with a tired smile "But from what I've heard, I think that beats almost being sent to space for example."

"That was just an accident and it was only once!" The time-traveler did his best to downplay what happened that day, even though at one point he honestly felt like he would die.

In the end though, the two brown-haired teenagers simply shared a look before releasing a pair of amused chuckles. Hope's Peak Academy could certainly be quite the insane place, and for these two that have known each other for more than two years already coming to this same flowerbed with the small statue of Hope's Peak Founder in the middle just to talk about their daily experiences became almost a tradition.

They eventually lost track of how much had passed since the Luckster had arrived at the Reserve Course, but it wasn't like the pair really minded. Relaxing like this from time to time was one of the things that stopped them from just collapsing.

But even so, they were so caught up in their conversation that they didn't notice the pair that was coming closer to them until their voices announced their presence.

"These two, they are awfully close to one another, aren't they?"

"They are…maybe even _too_ close, I think…"

Both Makoto's and Hajime's attention were quick to move to the owner of said voices, their eye widening in surprise at the sight, for seeing those two together wasn't something that happened every day.

"Kirigiri-san?"

"Nanami?"

Both the Ultimate Gamer, Nanami Chiaki, and the Ultimate Detective, Kirigiri Kyoko, stood in front of the pair of brown-haired teens, with one of them sporting an almost lazy smile while the other showed no expression in her pale face.

"I was coming here to play a bit, and I ran into Kigirigi-san in the way." It was Chiaki the one that spoke first, deciding to ignore the part in which she had actually collided with the younger Ultimate since she had been too busy focusing on her game.

Her words made Kyoko the focus of the three; although the girl's purple eyes were solely aimed at the Luckster of her class.

"Headmaster told me to come and get you since you weren't answering your phone." The Detective explained with a small shrug. "I just assumed you would be here."

"My phone…?" Almost as if realizing something, Makoto was quick to take the mentioned device from his pocket, his eyes instantly widening once he realized the phone in his hand was not, in fact, turned on.

Had he been so distracted that he had forgotten to turn on his phone of all things?! That certainly explained why the object in his hand had not been releasing any sound for the whole day.

He ended up shallowing just at the thought of what would happen if he actually turned it on right now, and while a part of him would rather not do so, he knew that it would just be rude if he did.

So it only took a few seconds for him to turn on his cellphone.

And suffice to say, the number of sounds and vibrations the device released as a result of the number of messages and lost calls that he was only now getting, which he realized in every-increasing horror that it reached the 3 digit numbers, was enough to make everyone around the Luckster wonder if the device wouldn't suddenly explode or something.

"I…" He was almost lost for words, even though in retrospective he honestly should not have been that surprised. Kyoko's words appeared in his mind rather quickly however, which decided his next course of action "Think we should be going."

He nodded towards his classmate before standing up from his seat, an action that Hajime was quick to follow.

"Sorry for having to leave like this even though you just got here, Nanami-senpai." He spoke with honest regret, but in response the older Ultimate simply smiles kindly towards her fellow Ultimate.

"We can always play tomorrow, Naegi-kun. We know you can't just ignore Headmaster-san." With her words Hajime was quick to nod in agreement from right behind her, to which Makoto could only smile gratefully before leaving alongside his lavender-haired classmate, leaving the duo of Reserve Course and Main Course students by themselves.

While for his part Hajime could only release a small sigh before honestly smiling fondly at the retreating back of his younger friend. The fact that even after joining Hope's Peak and being surrounded by fellow Ultimates Makoto still bothered coming here just to see him, alongside Chiaki, by now honestly meant more than what he would like to admit.

His smiling visage, however, was interrupted by the feeling of someone pulling on the sleeve of his shirt. He was quick to look down at the one responsible for that, and the sight that he got was one of the Ultimate Gamer doing what he could only describe as an angry pout.

"W-what?" He asked confused, honestly having no idea as to from here such a reaction even came from.

"You promised me." The girl was quick to speak, even though she also kept pouting at him "That you would tell me whenever Naegi-kun came so that we could all play together like before."

"Ah…" He did do that, didn't he? She was right, he was supposed to send her a message or something, she had made him promise such a thing after all.

"I guess I forgot…" He said under his breath. Was he so caught up with talking with Makoto that he had forgotten about something like that? Apparently so. "Sorry for that."

The girl's pout lasted for a few seconds more before it suddenly vanished, leaving a Chiaki that was just looking up at him with nothing but curiosity right before she made a strange sound of understanding, one that had Hajime raising an eyebrow in wonder at her reaction.

"Don't worry," The girl declared with a nod. "I understand now…I think."

"You do?" He asked skeptically, feeling that there was something off in whatever she had understood. Wouldn't be the first time anyway.

"Yes." Chiaki responded swiftly, and for some reason the look that she was giving him right there almost made him break out in cold sweat. "You just wanted to hog Naegi-kun for yourself. I understand this now."

"Wait, what?!" His sudden cry seemed to not affect the Ultimate at all, with the way she even brought one of her hands up to her chin.

"I thought that Sonia-san and Kirigiri-san would be my biggest rivals, but…" Suddenly there was a fire in Chiaki's eyes that he was only used to seeing whenever it came to her beloved video games. "I shouldn't have underestimated you. No, it is more that the final boss was a member of my party all along!"

"You aren't getting it at all, Nanami!" Even to this day he still had no idea how the mind of the Ultimate Gamer worked, and he doubted he would ever fully get something like that.

"I won't lose though." Chiaki continued as if everything that Hajime said was muted to hear, only earning a groan from the teen in question. "Even if dating games are my weak point."

"You're misunderstanding everything!" He almost felt like grabbing his head in frustration, but at least it seemed Chiaki had finally calmed down from whatever delusions she had been having for the last minute.

Not that the comforting silence lasted for long though, since Chiaki's voice was quick to sound once more in his ears.

"Naegi-kun isn't here, Hinata-kun. There is no need to show your tsun-tsun side right now."

"Could you not?!"

Slowly, but surely, the two Courses were coming together in more ways than one.

* * *

"Sorry, I just wanted to make sure that I answered everything properly."

"It's fine."

"There was even a message from Kirigiri-san though… A couple of them actually."

"…I was just curious about your whereabouts, that's all."

He couldn't find a fault in that logic, especially since the Headmaster himself had sent his daughter to search for him.

Even so, he had spent most of the walk towards the Headmaster's office busy with answering all the pending messages he had. Properly apologizing for not answering sooner and saying sorry that he wouldn't be able to meet with any of his friends.

At least, they all seemed to understand the moment he brought up the Headmaster's name.

They were close to said office however, so he was only glad that he had been able to answer all of the messages before coming here. It would be rude to do such a thing in the presence of the older Kirigiri after all.

"I'm sorry that you had to go and find me." He said to his classmate once they reached the double-door that lead to Kirigiri Jin's office, one that by now he had grown quite familiar.

"Like I said, its fine." Kyoko spoke in the detached tone she always liked to use. "Do try to keep your phone on next time though. It loses its meaning if no one can contact you."

He could only scratch the back of his head while smiling awkwardly at being reprimanded by his classmate. He knew she was right though.

He moved his gaze towards the wooden door, with his hand then moving towards it with the obvious intention of knocking, but just as he was about to do that his wrist ended up being caught by a gloved hand, one that of course belonged to the Ultimate Detective to his right.

"Kirigiri-san?" He whispered her name, more than a bit confused by her action. His brown eyes were quickly drawn to her purple eyes, while his raised arm ended up being lowered, although such a thing didn't mean Kyoko was releasing her hold on him.

"I know by now asking you will not get me much." She said, and he could have sworn he detected a bit of frustration slipping into her tone. "But to whatever Headmaster, no, father is asking you to do… don't feel ashamed of asking for my help if you need it, Naegi-kun."

That was certainly a surprise for the Luckster, however his surprised expression only lasted for a few seconds before it melted into a grin, one that was purely aimed at the girl that had helped him not only against Monokuma's sick games twice, but even against direct orders of Future Foundation.

Not that the one in front of him knew such a thing of course, but that didn't mean he felt any less grateful towards her.

"That just makes me feel glad." He spoke happily, catching the Detective by surprise. "Since that just means that you care enough to offer your help, Kirigiri-san."

"…Of course I do." Kyoko answered quietly, to the point that he knew he would have missed it if he hadn't been paying attention. "You told me that we were friends a long time ago, remember? Or are you already regretting your words?"

"Of course not!" He suddenly declared, and to be honest he would be surprised if his voice had not been heard from the other side of the door. "I would never regret such a thing, Kirigiri-san!"

The girl stood in silence after that while staring straight into his eyes, almost as if she was trying to find something in his brown orbs. She seemed to find whatever she was looking for however, if the nod she released was an indication of anything at least.

"Kyoko…"

"Eh?" Her sudden call of her own name caught him by surprise. That, alongside her movement to put s strand of her air behind her ear.

"You call Maizono by her first name when the two of you are alone, don't you?" The Detective offered him a sharp look that had him almost becoming a spluttering mess. How she knew that, he could only imagine it. "Playing favorites is no good, Naegi-kun."

"That's, well, I mean…" He could even feel the flush of embarrassment that was creeping on his face, and the only thing that stopped him from his mumbling act was being on the receiving end of one of Kyoko's rare smiles.

Sure, it was a small one, but just the fact alone that she seemed happy was more than enough to him.

"I'm only teasing you, Naegi-kun. No need to act as if you did anything wrong." The Ultimate Detective was then quick to finally release her hold on his wrist.

Teasing? He could only imagine the reaction that any of his classmates would have if they saw the Kirigiri Kyoko actually teasing someone.

She then moved silently away from her classmate, with Makoto's eyes focused on her retreating back. She expected for that to end on just that note, but Makoto's voice was once again quick to get rid of such thoughts.

"Thank you for your help, Kyoko-san!"

And with his words, the time-traveler saw the Ultimate Detective suddenly stopping her walk before nodding without turning back right before continuing her walk, and while he wasn't able to see the expression on her face he would like to believe that he had said the right thing at that moment.

If he had been able to look at her properly though, he would have seen Kirigiri Kyoko's pale complexion suddenly tinted pink on the area of her cheeks.

But while the Ultimate Detective would always be one that had a special place in his heart, right now he knew his focus should be on the older one of the two Kirigiri that had connections to Hope's Peak Academy.

After all, Kirigiri Jin was the only one that knew about his secret.

* * *

 **First of all, proper thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for helping me with this chapter! It would be a mess without them.**

 **Another long chapter and so far the longest one for this story. A lot of people wanted to see a bit more about the past, and that's what this chapter focuses about.**

 **I'll admit I found writing Hajime hard for some reason, but I hope I did him well enough. I know some of the events don't align perfectly with how they played in the anime, but you can chalk that up to butterfly effect (If not then just go with my excuse of not wanting to just re-write the anime but with Makoto shoehorned in).**

 **I know some might not like that Hajime didn't turn into Izuru, and if that's the case I apologize. I also know that everyone probably expected more time with Chiaki and Kyoko, but there is a reason their time was so short here and you will see why soon enough.**

 **I don't remember if the member of the Steering Committee had proper names, and while I do know they actually do have designs I ended up deciding to change that a bit. Why? Well I might or might not have been playing Persona 5 while writing this…**

 **Next chapter marks the end of this little introductory arc so to speak, and after that is where things finally get going. You'll see what I mean, although I can't promise next update will be a quick one.**

 **Of course, thank you all for having read this far. This story just passed the 200 followers mark and for that I can't thank you all enough. Not only for the follows, but thank you all for reading, favorite and of course reviewing this story. See you next chapter.**

 **Next Chapter: Naegi Household.**


	8. You Are Not Alone

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama**

 **Chapter 7**

 **You Are Not Alone**

Kirigiri Kyoko was an intelligent girl.

Such a thing was fairly obvious to anyone that knew her of course, so even pointing something like that could be considered nothing short of simply stating the obvious.

It wasn't her book smarts that made her stand out though, although no one would deny that she was more than competent in that aspect too, something that showed in her seat as one of the smartest members of her class.

But rather it was her deductive skills and keen intellect the ones that truly made her stand out, even above those who had extraordinary skills befitting of the title of Ultimates.

She was an Ultimate herself, after all, so one could say that it was only natural. The title of Ultimate Detective was no small achievement, even among a family that prided themselves on their skills as detectives.

And she might not show it, but she _did_ have pride in that skill of hers. It was one that she had learned from her dear grandfather when she was a child after all.

Not only as the Ultimate Detective but as her grandfather's apprentice, Kyoko prided herself on her ability to learn the truth through any means necessary. She knew she wasn't perfect of course, but even so, she also believed that when it came to any mystery that her job would throw at her she would be able to handle it accordingly and in the end learn all the facts that needed to be discovered.

But if such was the case then…

"This is quite good!"

"Indeed it is. Eating like this once in a while certainly isn't such a bad idea, don't you think?"

…Why was she the only one lost for words right now?

She could only look down at the object that had been presented in front of her. Of course, she wasn't a stranger to the steaming contents of the bowl that had been placed in front of her, but even so she could only give it a frown of confusion, one that only became stronger as a result of the noise around her.

"Kirigiri-san, you aren't eating? It's going to get cold…"

She could only give the owner of said voice, who was sitting to her left, a side-glance followed by an even stare. Her pursed lips parted a bit to give back a response, but before she was able to do such a thing another, older voice regarded her from her right.

"Don't mind her much, Makoto-kun. Kyoko can be surprisingly shy sometimes."

She honestly had to control herself to not immediately turn her head around, such action wouldn't be becoming of her after all, so she simply turned her gaze to the opposite side slowly, just to then give the one to her right a raised eyebrow, sending the individual the simple question about that comment being necessary or not.

The only answer she got was a close-eyed smile.

Her eye actually twitched slightly at that, so quick that anyone that blinked would have missed it entirely. Her purple eyes went back to the hot bowl of freshly served ramen in front of her, and without waiting for any other unnecessary remark she was quick to bring the noodles to her mouth using the chopsticks in her right hand.

She decided to ignore the fact that she could feel a pair of smiles aimed at her direction, definitely just to focus on the admittedly good taste of the food in her mouth and not because of any of that so-called _shyness_.

But even so, was she really the only one that thought that this was weird? Of course she knew that the relationship that she shared with these two was far from a normal one, but surely even with that, for the Headmaster of such a school like Hope's Peak Academy to bring two of the students of said school to a ramen stand, wasn't that just weird?

Even ignoring the fact that if they really wanted to eat anything they were more than able to get it from the school itself rather than to have to go out of their way to find a place like this around the city, just being dragged out of the blue to eat some ramen with one of her classmates and her Headmaster couldn't be considered something that happened regularly in one's life.

And how had she been dragged to such an event? It pretty much came down to her not giving one Naegi Makoto enough credit when it came to fooling people. He certainly made that text message that he had sent her sound quite urgent, after all.

Not that she would have minded at all if it was just spending time with the Ultimate Lucky Student of her class, mind you, and just the thought of the rest of her classmates complaining about Makoto spending too much time with her was enough to make the corner of her lips twitch upward slightly.

But something told her that rather than Makoto, it had been their Headmaster the one that came with the idea and convinced the brown-haired Ultimate to carry said plan out.

And after being almost dragged into said Headmaster's car she found herself in a ramen stand with the two before she even realized it.

Truly, her father could sometimes give her even bigger headaches than her own class.

It wasn't the fact that she had been brought here that had her confused though, for as surprising as that had been, it was still not the first time such a thing happened every since she rekindled her relationship with the man known as Kirigiri Jin, Headmaster of Hope's Peak and also the man that just so happened to be her father.

No, what had her gaze moving from her smiling father to her chuckling classmate was the fact that even to this day she still was not aware of what kind of relationship the two had between them.

Of course, she knew her father wasn't a stranger when it came to asking for specific favors from the students of his school. She had received her own share of tasks from the man himself after all, but that at least made sense in her head considering her talent.

But what could someone like Kirigiri Jin want from Makoto of all people?

It wasn't like she believed Makoto didn't have anything going on for him, far from that in fact, but with the way the Headmaster acted when it came to Makoto one would think Makoto was his secretary or something.

In the end, her doubts could be summed up in one simple question.

What was the nature of the relationship between Naegi Makoto and Kirigiri Jin?

And suffice to say, the fact that even after a little more than a year since she joined Hope's Peak she still wasn't able to answer that question was enough to actually wound her pride as a detective.

Makoto wasn't even a good liar, for he was one that carried his heart on his sleeve, but whenever it came to whatever he was doing with her father he would suddenly become so tight-lipped that it was actually impressive.

She also knew she wasn't the only one more than a little curious as to the relationship between the two, but as far as she knew there was no one that would be able to give her a straight answer when it came to that.

Excluding the two in question, that is.

But if getting answers from Makoto was as hard as it could get, then getting some from her father was simply close to impossible. The man might have left her family, but he was still a Kirigiri at heart it seemed with the way he was able to hide everything behind a smile.

Well, maybe not everything. She could still remember those words clearly after all, the parting words that her father had left her during their first meeting at Hope's Peak after so many years.

" _Keep an eye on Naegi Makoto, Kyoko…For everyone's sake."_

To this day she was still lost to the real meaning behind that request, but that didn't mean that she didn't do her best to carry it out.

Sure, her reasons for doing it had changed a lot more than what she could have ever predicted, but there was still no denying that if something happened to her Luckster, she would be the first one to know.

…Maybe she needed to find a way to not make it sound as if she was stalking him, though.

She was a patient woman though, and even if the desire of discovering what was hidden between the student and Headmaster burned inside of her, she also knew that the answers weren't close to being discovered by her.

It stopped being a matter of just pride a long time ago though, and with the subtle glance she gave to the Luckster of her class, only one thought was grasped by her mind.

 _I wouldn't mind if he started relying more on me…_

And just as the sun began to hide on the horizon, it was the sound of both her Luckster and her father asking for another service that actually had her forming a soft smile on her lips.

Sure, this wasn't her usual cup of tea.

But she wouldn't mind getting used to such a thing.

* * *

Komaru Naegi was, to simply put it, bored out of her mind.

With her legs dangling from one end of the couch in her living room while her head rested on the opposite end, the expression on her face told the world that the girl had little to no interest in what she was doing at the moment.

Flipping the page of the manga in her hand did little to fix that expression though; for there was only so many times she could read the exact same chapters before it became more of a chore than anything else.

From her position of being lying face up on the couch, the brown-haired girl moved her gaze from the pages of her manga to the table that stood in front of the couch, with said action being followed by her bored gaze turning into one of longing.

The reason for that being the manga resting on said small table, which while looking similar to the one she had on her hand, it was one that actually had the young girl more than a little excited.

It was the newest volume after all, and she honestly had to do everything in her willpower to not just grab it and pretty much eat it with her eyes.

A quiet groan escaped her lips, but the longing in her eyes vanished once she shook her head fiercely to the side. She had to be patient, she had made a promise to read it with someone else after all, and she knew it wouldn't be the same if she got a head-start on it.

Now if only her big brother could finally get here so that they could read it together!

Her gaze was then quick to move to the clock resting on the wall directly in front of the couch, with her eyes narrowing as soon as she caught on the current time. Wasn't it a bit late already for her brother to still be out?

Moving her focus to another place in the house since she had nothing better to do anyway, the girl's green eyes were quickly drawn to the entrance that led to the kitchen of the house.

And while she couldn't see from her position, her ears were easily able to catch the sound that her mom was making as she worked on preparing the dinner that they would all be eating soon enough.

Her focus was quick to move somewhere else though, as a result of a white blur swiftly moving from the kitchen to the living room. She was then quick to throw her now forgotten manga in the table alongside the newest one, knowing what said blur meant.

And just like she expected she was forced to catch a small, red-eyed animal with white fur in her hands, with said animal now resting only inches away from her face as she held the small being right above her.

"You're bored too, aren't you, Koro-chan?"

The only answer her question got from the albino Shiba Inu in her grasp was a small tilt of his head, followed by a swift flick of his tongue across her nose, something that got her to wrinkle her face before releasing a small amused giggle.

"Be sure to tell Onii-chan how much you miss him so that he comes home early next time, alright?" It might look weird for an outsider looking in, but she knew by now just how smart her brother's pet actually was.

And considering the owlish blink she received as a response right before the dog in question bobbed his head up and down, it was almost as if he actually understood her request.

And as far as she knew, he actually did.

Figures it would be her older brother the only one to bring a dog like this to their home.

The sound of the door of the house being unlocked, however, was more than enough to get both hers and the dog's attention, with said pet suddenly looking towards the door's general direction while even her own ahoge stood in attention as a result of the sound.

Could it be…?

"I'm home!"

Her hopes were quickly washed away however, for while she immediately recognized the voice it certainly wasn't the one belonging to her older brother.

That was only confirmed even further once she was able to see the owner of the voice properly, and although it wasn't her brother her lips still formed into a happy smile at the sight of the short brown-haired man.

"Welcome home, dad," She said cheerfully, which got a follow up in the form of a pair of barks, courtesy of the dog now resting on her stomach.

"Enjoying your free time it seems," Those words, alongside a smile and a ruffle of her hair was the response she got from the patriarch of the Naegi household, something that only had her pouting in dissatisfaction.

What was it with her dad and brother with treating her as if she was still a kid?!

"Welcome home, dear."

Her mom had obviously heard her dad's arrival too it seemed, considering that she had left what she had been doing to come and greet him.

With her parents then sharing a small peck on the lips, it truly looked like the typical scene that you would see when it came to a married, middle-class couple with two kids, and at one point she knew that it was just like that.

But by now, she had also grown used to what came after such a greeting.

"So, who came up this time?"

That didn't mean she had to like it though, and the groan that left her as soon as her dad asked that question proved that quite clearly.

"Just Sayaka-chan and Miu-chan, although Kirumi-chan was here too but that doesn't really count by now…"

Her mom's answer came swiftly, with a small shine now present on her brown eyes.

And what did her dad do with that information? He clicked his tongue in obvious frustration of course, almost as if his favorite team had just lost the league or something.

Then again, that might not be that far from reality.

"I was sure it would be Owari-san this time…Or maybe even Leon-kun."

"That puts us 25 to 20 at my favor, dear."

"I'm aware; you don't have to rub it in my face."

"At this rate, I'll be the one choosing what to do for vacation."

"Guh… Aren't you assuming too much right now? I still have a chance here, you know?"

The fact that such a conversation occurred almost every weekend had her looking at both of her parents, who were sending each other challenging looks, just while she sported her own look that showed nothing but incredulity.

It didn't matter how many times she saw it, she still just found it weird!

Shouldn't they be more worried rather than using such a thing as a game?!

Sure, it was fun at first, having so many important people coming to her house almost daily certainly added quite a lot to her life, especially with the likes of Maizono Sayaka being among them.

But by now it only frustrated her to no end!

Of course she knew the type of person that her older brother just so happened to be, so maybe she shouldn't be _that_ surprised, but half of the things those called _Ultimates_ did around him were borderline illegal!

And with her parents acting as if it was all a game while her brother just rolled with it, was she really the only one in the whole household that found it weird?!

She didn't have much problem with the more tame ones like the Ultimate Gamer who gave her some of her older games from time to time, or the Ultimate Cosplayer from which she had borrowed manga more than a few times already, but even her perception of her idol, Maizono Sayaka, had been affected after seeing her around her brother.

The fact that all of them just wanted more of her brother's time only made things worse.

It was already hard enough for her to get some time with her brother with how demanding Hope's Peak Academy was, but once you added those classmates of his it actually made it quite to get some time alone with him.

And she _lived_ with him!

Shouldn't she have some sort of privilege since she was his little sister or something?

"Dumb Onii-chan…" She whispered under her breath. Of course she was extremely proud of her brother, after all joining a place like Hope's Peak Academy was pretty much a dream come true.

But that didn't mean she couldn't feel at least a bit jealous and annoyed. Of course she did her best to not bother her brother with such thoughts; after all, she didn't need to add to more to his already troublesome daily life in her opinion.

She still felt as if her brother had entered a whole new world and left her behind though. They used to be so close before, and while her feelings were still the same there was no denying that being with her brother had become increasingly hard with every year he spent at Hope's Peak.

It didn't help that her brother started acting a bit weird ever since he had been recruited for that school. It was hard to describe it with words, but it was as if something was constantly eating him away.

Those nightmares he seemed to still be having didn't help though, and it didn't matter how much she insisted on him telling his parents or something, he always just brushed her off as if it was nothing.

Her brother still did his best to be around her though, that much she knew, and while she appreciated that immensely it still just wasn't the same.

Today would be different though, since there would be no one distracting them and since tomorrow was Sunday they had the night all to themselves. Her brother had promised it to her after all, and now it was only a matter of time before he finally got home.

The sound of the door being unlocked once more though, something that actually stopped her parent's little contest, told her that her wish would become true sooner than she realized.

"I'm back!"

And with that announcement, it was actually the dog resting on her stomach the one that reacted first by dashing towards the entrance of the house with such a speed that she was sure she would have missed it if she had blinked.

"Eh? Koromaru? D-down boy!"

She couldn't help but smile at the sound of the owner of that voice obviously being overpowered by such a small pup. Her parent's expression told her that they were equally amused, and that was something she couldn't blame them for.

She quickly made her move and grabbed the newest volume from its spot on the table and moved to save her brother from his dog's affection.

* * *

"Onii-chan…are you sure you're alright? We could do this another day if you want…" The worry in Komaru's voice could not be mistaken for anything else.

"Its fine, Komaru," He did his best to reassure her however, with a small smile appearing on his face. "And I thought you couldn't wait to read this one?"

"Well, yeah but…" The younger Naegi continued with concern showing in her eyes from her position right beside her brother. "You've been staring at the same page blankly for five minutes already…"

His eyes widened at her words, a look of disbelief quick appearing on his face, which lasted for only a couple of seconds before it was replaced by a tired expression, with a quiet sigh even leaving his lips.

Had he really been so lost in his own particular world that he ended up worrying his little sister? Unforgivable.

"Did something happen at school again?" Komaru knew that look though, and whenever her brother showed such a troubled expression it always related somehow to Hope's Peak Academy.

"Something like that…" He responded while looking down at the manga in his grasp, although it was more than obvious that his attention was somewhere else, while his free hand moved through the white fur of the dog resting on his lap, who was also even looking at him with what looked like concern.

It wasn't that he wanted to worry his sister, or his pet for that matter, on purpose or anything, but something has been lingering heavy on his head ever since he left the school.

And just like with many of his issues, it all came back to the same individual.

Enoshima Junko.

Although if he had to be more precise then, it would rather be the _lack_ of Junko's presence in his day.

Don't get him wrong, it wasn't like he honestly lamented not spending time with Junko or anything. God knew he would probably have a splitting headache if he had, but watching over Junko was something that by now he considered an actual duty, his feelings for the girl notwithstanding.

And today it should have been just like that, after his meeting with the Headmaster he should have gone to check up on Junko, even if it was just to make sure she wasn't trying to set the school on fire or anything.

But maybe he had been too naïve regarding her. Had he lowered his guard too much because of the peaceful, albeit hectic days he had been having so far? For it was the Headmaster himself the one that told him that Enoshima Junko had left the school earlier in the day.

Such a thing was weird by itself, after all the only reason he could even think for Junko to leave would be for something related to her job as a model, but even with that, he knew for a fact that she had no such jobs today.

…He really needed to find a way to not make it sound as if he was stalking her…

But that's wasn't all, and what made the situation truly bizarre in his mind was the fact that she hadn't left by herself, but rather with someone else.

Ikusaba Mukuro to be more precise.

And while he was sure that no one else would bat an eyelash at two sisters simply leaving the school together, he knew better. He knew that Junko had cut all strings when it came to Mukuro after her… _desertion_ , as she liked to put it, so for the two to leave together…

It wasn't that he didn't trust Mukuro, he certainly did. The Ultimate Soldier had definitely proved by now that she was trying to distance herself away from her sister's path of despair after all.

But even so, one fact didn't change.

He didn't trust Junko, and he doubted he ever would, so to know that she was by herself with Mukuro of all people, it simply sent a shiver down his spine.

A bad feeling was starting to form in his gut, one that even right now in the safeness of his room, with his sister sitting right beside him; it still refused to leave him no matter how he tried.

"Onii-chan worries too much about that school…its fine to relax once in a while, you know?"

He was taken out of his mind, however, by Komaru's voice. The girl still had her green eyes focused on him after all.

"I don't think-"

"Even Onii-chan's room has more things from that place than anything else."

Whatever he was going to say, it was silenced by his sister's narrowed eyes and pout as she looked around his room from top to bottom. To such an action he truly couldn't help but chuckle a bit, after all he knew that she had him with that one.

"I don't think having a few gifts like these is that bad though?"

"There's a difference between a few and _this_ , Onii-chan."

To that comment he ended up scratching the side of his cheek as an awkward smile formed on his lips, however said smile was quick to turn into a fond one once he started imitating Komaru in her attempt to catch a glimpse at all the new additions to his room that he had obtained throughout his time at Hope's Peak Academy.

"Things have really changed, huh…"

He could still remember how bare and unremarkable his room had been before after all. Just blue walls with a bed, a T.V and a dresser, with a few mangas and consoles lying around the place, certainly not anything special or to write home about, but he supposed that was only normal.

But now? Well, suffice to say that the place that he had once called a room looked so different that he sometimes truly had to wonder if he actually lived here.

The multiple gifts that filled his vision though, not only did they bring back memories that he would always treasure, but also filled him with a feeling of both accomplishment and determination.

They were a proof that he has been able to protect those that he cared about.

But even if things were peaceful right now, the bad feeling on his gut still refused to go away, but against such a feeling it was nothing but sheer determination the one that was born out of it. The determination to face anything that was to come with his own way of doing this.

That's why he had been the one picked for this, after all.

Failure was clearly not an option, for even just thinking about what could have happened if he had failed by now…

"Eh?!"

Without even realizing it, the time-traveler ended up dropping the manga in his hand and throwing his arm over Komaru's frame, with his hand landing on her shoulder just before he brought her even closer to him, their shoulders now touching.

With such a sudden action, Komaru would like to believe that her squeak of surprise was justified.

"O-Onii-chan…?" She whispered shyly, but the look in his eyes told her that it was one of those moments in which he simply _needed_ this. For what reasons, she still didn't know, but seeing him with that look of pain in his gaze was enough to make her heart fill with pain.

If hugging her like that helped then, who was she to complain?

She wanted to know though, what was making him show such a face. Maybe if she knew she would be able to help him after all, at least do something, anything!

But she knew by now that pushing the subject would get her nowhere. Her brother could be incredibly stubborn when he wanted after all.

She would be there for him then, not only for things like this but also for the moment in which he decided to open up about what was bothering him.

But for the moment she simply rested her head on his shoulder, an action that actually got him to relax a bit, or at least that's how it seemed to her. Maybe she could at least take his mind out of whatever was bothering, even if it was just for a few minutes.

A comfortable silence fell for them, with nothing but the sound of the sleeping dog's breathing covering them. It actually took a couple of minutes for the Luckster to finally realize what he had done, and with that came an embarrassed flush that covered his cheeks.

"Sorry Komaru, I…"

"Its fine, Onii-chan," He tried to apologize, but he was denied the chance by a shake of his sister's head. "I don't really mind this."

He could only smile gratefully at her while giving her shoulder another squeeze, an action that got him another smile from the younger Naegi of the house.

It would have been fine in his opinion if they just stayed like that for a while, even if it was just in silence.

"Hey, Onii-chan."

It seemed his sister had other ideas, however.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure…?" He gave her a raised eyebrow, wondering what kind of thing she would ask him if she was questioning him like that.

She only flashed him another smile however, one that for some reason had the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. It was a smile that told him that he had done something wrong somehow, but the only thing that he could think of was…

"Why is there a box filled with girl's _and_ boy's underwear hidden under your bed?"

…well it wasn't that one, but it was somehow worse.

It was at that moment though, that the mind that he had used to solve murder after murder simply decided to stop working altogether. There was simply no acceptable answer that one could think of right there and then after all.

His frozen smile met Komaru's unwavering one for what felt like an almost an eternity. He knew he had to say something however, but with his mind right now trying to remember how to even talk, his lips ended up moving in nothing but instinct.

"They aren't mine…?"

His instincts sucked.

"Onii-chan's a deviant!"

The saddest part was, he couldn't find a way to deny that claim without making it worse.

Such was his luck, he could only assume.

* * *

His day should have ended with that.

Sure, he didn't expect to have to convince his sister that he, in fact, was not some sort of sexual deviant, but it at least distracted him from thinking too much about Junko.

After that, it was a matter of simply answering the messages he had on his phone and then he could consider his night finished.

He knew that the next day would probably be just as, if not even more chaotic than this one, but such concerns were not for the him that had his face resting on his comfortable pillow.

He would let Makoto of the future deal with that one. He was also the one that would need to get some answers from Mukuro, so his day was already starting to sound quite busy.

The least he could do for him then, was to rest as best as he could.

But if that was the case then, why did he suddenly found himself opening his eyes in the middle of the night?

Ah, right, because his phone had decided to pick just that moment to start making noise. Didn't he turn that thing off before? He was sure that he did, but apparently, he got that one wrong.

He groaned slightly before raising his upper body, with his right hand moving to grab the shining phone from his nightstand to the side of his bed.

He rubbed his eyes for a second before focusing on the device in his hand, wondering just who exactly had decided to write him at such an hour. It wouldn't be the first time, but it was still extremely rare.

In retrospect though, he should have realized that something was wrong right at that moment.

Even ignoring the time, the fact that he didn't recognize the number that had sent him the text should have sent more than a few alarms ringing in his brain.

But thinking that it could be just a case of a wrong number or even spam, he still decided to read the text.

But the moment that his eyes locked over the content of the text, his mind decided to go back to Saihara Shuichi's mentality.

To sometimes prefer to live in ignorance over finding the truth, it was a feeling that he certainly understood throughout the Killing Games he had been forced to participate.

But at that moment, no other feeling could have ever beaten the excruciating regret that he had over deciding to read that message.

If he hadn't he could have been resting instead.

If he hadn't, his life wouldn't have taken such a turn.

And while his whole being was begging for this to just be another nightmare, in the bottom of his heart he just knew it wasn't.

The sound of his phone falling into the floor of his room only confirmed it even more, but even without that, it was the bad feeling that had been forming itself in his gut the one that told him that this was real.

And with a face as pale as ghost, with his eyes unblinking and his whole body shaking, Naegi Makoto could only re-read the message in his head over and over, trying to find _something_ in it, anything that could help him understand the situation that he suddenly found himself into.

The only thing he found though, was a feeling of loss, failure and the mocking laugh of a certain bear filling his mind.

 _From Ultimate Despair to Naegi Makoto of The Future Foundation_

 _Let's start another game_

* * *

 **First of all, proper thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for helping me with this chapter! It would be a mess without them.**

 **And with that, the actual plot of the story begins. I do have to validate that Mystery tag after all, and what's Danganronpa without one of those?**

 **With this first batch of chapters I wanted to show a glimpse of Makoto's current life and status quo, but now Makoto finds that threatened by an unknown force.**

 **Probably not what a lot expected with how I worded this chapter in the previous one, but for those that want the rest of the Ultimates or some of them interacting with Makoto's family or more Komaru don't worry, that will come…In exactly two chapters actually.**

 **Can't say much without spoiling though, so I'll leave it all to your imagination for now. Also, did I mention I like Persona? I swear I didn't give Makoto another dog just for the sake of it.**

 **Also, I apologize to everyone that got confused with the last chapter. There seemed to be some sort of issue with the site that didn't let people read it. I think it is fixed by now though, and with any luck, it won't happen again with this one.**

 **Glad to know the majority enjoyed the previous chapter though. Didn't know how it would be received since it barely had any comedy in it, but it feels great knowing how much some of you enjoy it, especially since I actually really liked writing those moments between our two first protagonists.**

 **Thank you all for having reached this far into the story. Your favs and follows are more than appreciated, and your feedback truly motivates me to write more, especially since leaving a review for the previous chapter must have been a pain (Thanks to everyone that decided to share their thoughts through PM instead though!)**

 **Next chapter will be really different and even a first one for me when it comes to style, but let's hope it turns out good enough.**

 **Next Chapter: In the Eyes of Nagito Komaeda**


	9. Interlude I

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: First thing I want to do is to give a shoutout to Dancantsin on Twitter and Instagram. I've known him for a while and he has just made a bit of fanart about this story which I think its pretty damn cool. This story probably wouldn't exist without him too, so to anyone that wants to check it I'll be putting the link in my profile. Thank you for the support!.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter and for their patience when it comes to a slow guy like me.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama**

 **Interlude**

 **Luckster's Hope**

As someone with the title of Ultimate, you are one that is considered elite among the elite.

The youth that will guide the masses into a future filled with bright hope, such is the weight that Hope's Peak Academy gives to the title of Ultimate, and for you to carry such a title means that you know this very well.

However, even among your peers you, or rather your talent, is one that makes you stands-out.

Ironically enough, the reason for that being that your title is given to a new student at the start of each school year, making you just one of the dozens of students with that same talent.

But even in the history of the school, you are probably the one that can carry that title with the most pride.

We aren't here to talk about that aspect of your life though, but you know that already, don't you?

Of course, you already know why you're here, so let's not waste time.

You, the Ultimate Lucky Student of class 77…

Tell me about _him_.

* * *

My name is Nagito Komaeda, and I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student of class 77 of Hope's Peak Academy.

I know I'm just stating the obvious, but I think it would be weird if I didn't introduce myself at least, even if you tell me that it's unnecessary.

I'll admit that I'm not sure how to go from here though…

Hm? Just talking about whatever I feel like? Isn't that too vague?

But you came to hear about _him_ , didn't you? That's the whole point of this in the end, after all.

If it is about him then, that makes things a lot easier for me. There are a lot of things I can say about him, after all!

…Not everything is good though, but I guess I need to be honest in these circumstances.

Oh, don't get me wrong, the fault doesn't lie with him, such a thing could never be. It lies entirely on me, and just thinking about that fills me with loathing.

If I hadn't been like that I would have been able to enjoy more of his company, but instead…

Our first meeting wasn't a friendly one, you see.

It's not that he didn't try, mind you, but it was me that did everything to dismiss him.

'What's good about another person with such a useless talent?'

That was the kind of mentality I had.

He didn't give up on me though, when in all honesty he should have just ignored scum like me.

I'm glad that he didn't do that, and I feel nothing but fortunate that I was able to spend my three years in Hope's Peak alongside his presence.

But at the same time, the guilt of being a bother to him was eating me daily.

I grew conflicted. A part of me wanted nothing more than to hold on to that light he always showed to me. To grab him and put him somewhere where no one would be able to harm him, where I could watch over his beautiful hope and protect it from everything.

Like a moth to a candle, I became intoxicated.

But I also wanted for that flame to be spread. How could I keep someone like him just for myself? All of my classmates, those with the title of Ultimates, don't they too deserve a chance to be with him?

He who can make their hope shine brighter than I could have ever imagined, what right did I have to deny everyone of such a thing? I'm just a lowly guy with Luck as talent, after all…

Ah, please don't tell him I said that, he'll just get angry at me unnecessarily.

But still, that didn't mean I didn't get jealous though, but I have learned to deal with such feelings by now.

…Well, mostly I suppose. He's someone that sees the best in people after all, even when there's nothing there.

Hinata-kun, Saihara-kun, Ikusaba-san, and Enoshima… Those are the ones I hate the most, you know?

Saihara-kun, who keeps rejecting his goodwill, and Hinata-kun that's nothing but a Reserve Course student, how come they are the ones favored so much by him?

I hated it so much…

But even when I was given the chance of getting rid of one of them, I still ended up just helping that guy instead…

I only did it for _him_ though. I knew how Hinata-kun leaving would affect him after all, and even though I knew his hope wouldn't waver against such a thing, the thought of not helping him even though I could…

Even though it displeases me, as long as it keeps him happy and smiling then, isn't that fine?

I still wonder if this is what they call love…

Ah, sorry! I ended up getting side-tracked there for a moment, even though we really don't have much time…

Hm? Ikusaba-san and Enoshima? I think we should ignore them though. They are just pests anyway.

If I was able to get rid of those two I would have done so by now, but its hard with him protecting them so much. I don't want him to hate me, you see. I don't think I would be able to live knowing such a thing.

He will realize it sooner or later though, I'm more than sure of it. Those two will show their true colors soon enough, and I'll be there to protect him when that happens.

He's quite naïve after all. He thinks that there's good in everyone.

But for those two that ooze nothing but Despair, wouldn't things just be better if they were to disappear?

Again, please don't tell him that. He already has enough worries as it is.

I suppose you want more details though, or else there would be no reason to be recording this…

It started a month after I joined Hope's Peak, you see…

* * *

" _Nagito-kun, this is Naegi Makoto, and he will be joining next year as the new class' Ultimate Lucky Student."_

 _The words of his teacher, Yukizome Chisa, got nothing but outright disappointment from his part. He had to admit that he had been more than a little curious about the details of his teacher's request, but now?_

 _If he had known it was for something like this he would have probably done his best to decline her offer._

 _Of course, the idea of guiding one of the newly scouted Ultimates through Hope's Peak Academy sounded like nothing but a dream come true for him._

 _But why of all Ultimates it had to be one with a talent like_ that _?_

 _He honestly couldn't control the disappointment that he was sure was showing on his face right now, with said expression being solely aimed at the short boy that was looking up at him from his teacher's side._

 _He had to wonder if the boy was just oblivious to his current feelings though, since that smiling expression showed not the least glimpse of being bothered by his own obvious distaste._

" _I hope to be in your care from now on, Komaeda-senpai."_

 _His honest words, alongside his offered hand and smile, only truly made him force down a snort that would have left him otherwise._

 _He definitely had better things to do than to be watching over someone like Naegi Makoto._

 _He still did his best to hide his emotions behind a smile though, for there was no need to be rude in his sensei's presence. Not her fault to be saddled with a duty like this after all._

 _The younger Luckster even went as far as to offer him a handshake in an obvious sign of goodwill, but he had stopped paying attention to the incoming student by now, with his eyes firmly focused on the taller woman behind Makoto._

 _And apparently noticing the start of the awkward atmosphere that was going to form, the former Ultimate was quick to cough mildly before smiling kindly at them._

" _I was actually hoping you could give Makoto-kun a tour around the school, Nagito-kun."_

 _Of course he had assumed this already, the only difference now is that his answer wouldn't be as positive as before._

" _Sorry, Yukizome-sensei, but there are a few things I need to do right now."_

 _That wasn't a complete lie, for there were definitely more than a few things he had to deal with right now. Sure, it wasn't anything urgent and he knew that if the task involved anyone else he would be more than willing to just go along with it._

 _But right now he simply didn't want to waste his time like this._

 _The disappointment in his teacher's face could not be mistaken for anything else, and it honestly made him feel slightly bad for the woman. It wasn't her fault that Hope's Peak had such a stupid policy of letting in worthless people. In fact, she was probably one of the biggest victims of such a thing since it meant she would be wasting her time having to teach said nuisances._

 _He could only hope to not give her any unnecessary problems in the future._

 _With another, this time more honest, apologetic smile aimed at the orange-haired woman, he was more than ready to leave the premise. Classes were over by now so maybe seeing if any of his classmates, or even senpais, needed any assistance he could offer._

 _If not, then he was sure that he could find different ways in which he could help them._

 _But even so, he still couldn't avoid catching a glimpse of the newly recruited Luckster right before turning around._

 _He expected some sort of disappointment to be reflected in the shorter boy's eyes, but there was nothing of the sort. Instead, he looked almost as if he had expected such a reaction from him._

 _For what reasons he didn't know, nor did he care in the slightest either._

 _And as he left the classroom the last thought he believed he would ever have about one Naegi Makoto was a hopeful one._

 _One about the boy quickly understanding his place._

* * *

" _Komaeda-kun…You were waiting for me?"_

 _He couldn't say that he was surprised by his classmate's conclusion, but it didn't stop him from smiling proudly at that. If there was one thing that he had learned from his Class Representative, it was the fact that she had quite the sharp mind._

 _Something she probably gained as a result of her talent, he could only assume. Not that such a thing made it less impressive at all in his eyes though._

" _Was I that obvious?" He spoke in honest wonder while both of his hands rested in the pockets of his hoodie._

 _His words simply got a tilted head from the shorter girl, who simply kept looking up at him, apparently trying to figure out something. What though, he wasn't completely sure._

" _I don't think you would be one to come here unless you_ had _to…"_

 _Her words rung true in his ears, and he could only offer her a chuckle in response. She was simply stating a fact after all, for there was truly no way he would get close to_ that _place without quite the reason._

 _So, of course, she found him being in the path that connected both Courses more than a little weird._

" _I just wanted to make sure that you were fine, Nanami-san," He told her nothing but the truth, for the only thing that could make him get close to a place like the Reserve Course was the well-being of one of his classmates._

" _I don't think anything could happen to me there though…" Still with her head tilted the Ultimate Gamer was quick to offer him a response "Naegi-kun was there with me too."_

 _And as soon as that name escaped Chiaki's lips he actually found himself unable to avoid clenching his fist inside his pocket._

 _Why was he starting to hear that name almost daily?_

 _Naegi Makoto wasn't even a student of this school yet, recruited or not, so why was that name something that his own classmates were now starting to repeat at least once every day?_

 _It left a bitter taste in his mouth to know that the minds of the future hope of the world were being distracted by someone like Naegi Makoto of all individuals._

 _He still made sure to keep the smile on his face though, for showing his displeasure in front of her would be nothing short of rude. She was the one besides their teacher that tried to rally everyone together after all, and that to him was nothing short of admirable._

 _And while he would definitely like to deal with the issue of a certain younger Luckster, he knew that such a thing could be left for later. Right now he had other things to discuss, namely about the girl in front of him._

" _But even so…" He spoke slowly, hoping that his classmate would understand. "I just don't see why someone like Nanami-san has to go to that place."_

 _The owlish blink he got from the girl did little to tell him if she understood what he was saying or not._

" _I go because I like it there," Chiaki answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, even though to him those words simply didn't make any sense. "Hinata-kun is there, and Naegi-kun also spends a lot of his time there with him…"_

" _But Nanami-san is an Ultimate." He honestly couldn't care less for anyone from the Reserve Course, and if Naegi Makoto wanted to waste his time there then he certainly wasn't going to stop him, but the girl in front of him was completely different from them. "For someone like you to spend your time with talentless people, isn't that just a waste?"_

 _He was sure that he was showing quite the confused expression, something that contrasted a lot with his classmate's calm demeanor. He did notice, however, that her eyes narrowed slightly, although for what reasons he wasn't sure._

 _Not that he was given time to ask her anyway._

" _Hinata-kun and you are quite similar, aren't you?" The Gamer's words honestly felt like a stab to his chest. Sure, he didn't know the guy personally, but being compared to someone from the Reserve Course like that…_

 _He knew he wasn't worthy of being an Ultimate, but he never thought he was_ that _bad._

" _You value talents too much, I think… Even though people are more than just that." Chiaki continued, almost as if she hadn't noticed the state that her words had left him._

" _Maybe you should join us one of these days, Nagito-kun," And then she actually smiled softly at him while readjusting her backpack. "We can play as teams even. I think Naegi-kun and you on the same team would be quite hard to beat."_

" _Nanami-san… you can be quite mean sometimes, you know?"_

 _He remembered once again to never underestimate an Ultimate, although this time it was definitely for different reasons._

* * *

" _I think you're looking for this, Komaeda-senpai."_

 _The defeated expression that he had worn just a few seconds later turned into a surprised one as soon as that voice reached his ears._

 _However, once his attention moved to the owner of said voice, his gaze turned into one that reflected nothing but coldness and irritation towards the boy standing by the entrance of the classroom._

 _And once his grey eyes landed on the device resting on the younger Luckster's hand, he ended up even gritting his teeth in nothing but sheer frustration._

" _You shouldn't have that."_

" _Neither should you, senpai," His cold words were easily refuted by the brown-haired teen however, almost as if the cold glare he was aiming at him meant nothing. "I don't think planting a bomb in the school is a good idea though."_

 _This time he didn't even bother to hide the scoff that escaped him after hearing those words. Of course, someone like Naegi Makoto wouldn't understand what he was trying to do, and he honestly wouldn't care for that at all if the boy in question hadn't found out about it somehow._

 _Had he found the bomb and then gotten the remote by sheer luck? Or maybe it was a combination of both of their luck that got him into this mess. He could save the details for later though, for right now he simply needed to press that button that the ahoge-haired boy was keeping in his hand._

 _Getting said remote actually ended up being a lot easier than what he expected, however, considering that before he even got time to say anything, it was Makoto himself the one that threw the device right in his hand._

 _His own look of confusion regarding that quickly disappeared as soon as he caught the device, for Makoto himself didn't waste time to continue talking._

" _I got Soda-senpai and Yukizome-sensei to help me turn off the bomb before coming here." His silver eyes went wide with Makoto's declaration. "They promised me they wouldn't tell Headmaster Kirigiri about it though, so you don't need to worry about getting expelled."_

 _He wasn't worried about that at all. No, for what he was right now was simply livid that not only had the younger Luckster apparently stopped his idea but that he had also gotten help from his class no less._

 _He still pressed the button, however, for he wasn't going to just believe such a thing blindly. The fact that no explosion filled his ears even seconds after pressing it told him that Makoto wasn't lying._

" _Why…?!" He whispered out harshly while dropping the now useless device into the floor, with his focus being on Makoto and nothing else. Of all people, how could it be him the one that just decided to meddle on his way like this? Someone with a talent like luck, which as far as he had seen wasn't even that strong in the first place._

 _His answer actually came in the form of a smile from the shorter boy._

" _Because I understand what senpai was trying to do, but I just can't agree with it!"_

 _Understand? What could he understand about what he was trying to do? That had to be a lie, for if Makoto truly understood then he wouldn't be here stopping him like this._

 _Couldn't he see that this was for the best of everyone that mattered? That he was doing this because of how much he loved not only his own class, but also the rest of the students that symbolized the hope of the world?_

 _Was he truly unaware of the tense atmosphere that had covered Hope's Peak Academy as of late? With rumors of illegal human experimentation being done in this very ground starting to fly around the halls of the school, and even there apparently being some sort of tension between his own senpais, the school had never felt more oppressive than before._

 _Why would students from the Main Course worry so much about the Reserve Course's happenings was simply beyond him, but to say that there was an air of paranoia in Hope's Peak halls would be an understatement._

 _Almost as if they were worried that any of them could be the next one to be used as a lab rat._

 _But even ignoring that, it was the conflict that had started to brew in his own class that was truly worrying him. He didn't know the details, but with how angry he looked as of late combined with some of the things said among their peers, he honestly wouldn't be surprised if the Kuzuryu clan actually came marching right towards Hope's Peak Academy at any second._

 _If looks could kill, he was sure that Fuyuhiko's glare would have incinerated half of their class by now._

 _And because of that, he knew he had to do this._

 _He just wanted to protect all of them. He knew how important today's test was going to be, for the failure of proving one's worth as an Ultimate could very well spell your end in this school. He knew that with how things were at the moment they wouldn't be able to perform to the best of their abilities._

 _His first idea had ended in failure, but to think that even his plan B would fail like this…Did he truly have so much bad luck?_

" _If you understood then you wouldn't have gotten in the way." He hissed out, but the only thing his words got as a response was a shake from the younger Luckster's head, who simply kept the same challenging look in his eyes._

" _I know you wanted to help everyone, but this way of doing it is just something I can't accept!"_

 _Those words simply sounded hollow to his ears to the point that he simply stopped caring about whatever could come off from Makoto's mouth. As a result, he simply walked briskly towards the exit of the room, making a bow to make Naegi Makoto's life a living hell if his actions somehow affected his classmates in any way._

" _I'll show it to you…"_

 _However, as soon as he passed by the younger boy's side he was stopped in his track by the strong-willed whisper that escaped Makoto's lips. He actually turned his head around slightly, with his cold grey-eyes quickly being matched by challenging brown ones._

 _He couldn't have predicted the next thing that would leave one Naegi Makoto that day._

" _I will show you a hope that won't lose to anything, Komaeda-senpai. One that won't lose to despair. I'll show you that you don't need despair to see it, with a hope that not even you will be able to deny!"_

 _The fact that the ahoge-haired boy was spewing off such a word like hope as if he actually understood it just made his own blood boil. What could Naegi Makoto know about hope? They were both just useless trash that was lucky to be here in the first place, so the least they could do was to try and make those that mattered shine with the brightest of all hope._

 _A hope that could only appear as a result of its victory over despair itself._

 _And yet this boy dared to say otherwise as if he understood such a thing better than him?_

 _He truly had no words for such a lost cause like Naegi Makoto._

 _But even as he truly believed that, Makoto's declaration was one that he became unable to simply ignore._

* * *

" _Oi, Komaeda!"_

 _Such a call to his name was actually not usual for him, at least not before he did anything that might get someone to try and get his attention as a result. Even so, he couldn't remember actually doing anything today that would bring up such a thing though._

 _He still offered nothing but a friendly smile to the blonde that had decided to grace his desk with his presence. They weren't neighbors when it came to their seats in the class, so whatever the Ultimate wanted, especially considering who he was, had to be important._

" _Kuzuryu-kun?" His voice was laced with nothing but friendliness and respect aimed at the blonde young man standing to the side of his desk, with his classmate's golden eyes looking down at him with a narrowed gaze._

" _Just wanted to ask you something." The Ultimate Yakuza spoke in a surprisingly down voice, almost as if he was afraid that the rest. It was definitely a strange sight for him, however, it wasn't the only thing strange that he had seen his classmates doing as of late._

 _Rather than an instant thing, it had been more of a gradual process, one that nonetheless had left him quite confused, to say the least. His classmates all just seemed more… perky so to speak. Happy even, to the point that he honestly found it weird._

 _He could only assume that it was because of the fact that they were all now second years. It was hard to keep track of his classmates during vacations so he could only assume that much right now._

 _He gave the blonde a nod and another smile, for of course, he was more than willing to help the Ultimate Yakuza in everything he needed. It was the least he could do._

 _The question that left Fuyuhiko's lips, however, was one that he truly didn't expect._

" _You share your Research Lab with Makoto, right?"_

 _His own smile just froze in its place as soon as that question filled his ears, with so many questions flying through his head at that moment. This was the first time anyone actually came to him for anything related to the younger Luckster, so to say that he was unprepared for such a thing would be nothing short of an understatement._

 _His head ended up bobbing up and down almost mechanically, with his affirmative response getting a smirk of all things from Fuyuhiko._

" _Good. Tell him to come to my room if you see him today then."_

 _He opened his mouth to answer, but ended up immediately closing it not a second later, honestly fearing what kind of response he would get if he asked the Yakuza about the kind of reasons he could he have to ask him something like that of all things._

 _Something that he wasn't able to avoid though, was the glint that appeared in the Yakuza's eyes as soon as he brought up Makoto's name. It was he recognized quite easily after all, and one that, even though it would normally fill him with nothing but excitement, right now filled him with nothing but utter astonishment._

 _It didn't help that his mind decided to choose that moment to rewind the words that the boy had declared to him months ago. That had been his last confrontation with the younger Luckster actually, but it seemed his subconscious had decided to torture him with those thoughts._

" _Ho? Did I hear you say Makoto's name, Fuyuhiko?!"_

 _His mind wasn't given much time to keep of thinking of those words however, for the imposing voice of the Ultimate Team Manager was quick to fill his ears, with the taller Ultimate himself now standing on the opposite side of his desk while looking down at the Yakuza with a look full of challenge._

 _He was also picking on his ears, but by now that was nothing out of the ordinary. The fact that he looked quite defensive of the younger Luckster however, was, and it was enough to finally wipe his smile off his face._

" _And what if I did, Nekomaru?" Not like such a look would intimidate someone like the Ultimate Yakuza though, or at least that's what it looked in his gaze with how the golden-eyed blonde simply glared up at the much taller Ultimate._

" _You will be disappointed then, Fuyuhiko!" Nekomaru declared just as he crossed his arms over his chest "Makoto will be training with me later today!"_

… _Now he was starting to wonder if he really was hearing everyone properly or if his ears were just playing tricks on his mind._

" _Both of you are wrong in that regard."_

 _His attention moved to the third figure that had apparently overheard their conversation, which he supposed was easy with how loud the Ultimate Team Manager had been._

" _Makoto has a duty with me today, one that cannot be forsaken for anything else." The Ultimate Breeder spoke as if that explained everything, but the only thing it got was a pair of glares and a simply shell-shocked expression for himself._

" _Eh?! But I wanted to practice with Naegi-chan today!"_

 _And almost as if his desk was a flame and they were moths, the rest of the class was quick to join in the argument in a way that had him moving his gaze from side to side, a clear expression of utter confusion present on his features._

" _Sorry coach, but Makoto is coming with me later!"_

 _Why…_

" _B-but… I-I wanted to check on N-Naegi-kun today…"_

" _Pff, as if he would want to spend time with a pig like you after I ask him!"_

 _How…_

" _I have already reserved Naegi-san's time for today, everyone!"_

" _Guh…Even if it's Sonia-san I can't just agree to that!"_

 _This just couldn't be…_

" _What's with that guy making promises with everyone after saying he would take some pictures with me today…"_

" _I just need some special food and Naegi-kun won't be able to say no this time…"_

" _As long as you share the time with me I'll deal with them, Young Master."_

 _Why…?! Why_ him?!

" _Everyone, please!"_

 _The ruckus, however, was finally calmed down once their Class Representative actually raised her voice to regard the whole class, who by now looked quite close to actually throwing their own respective chairs for reasons he just wasn't able to understand._

 _His gaze, alongside everyone else, was quickly drawn to the Ultimate Gamer who stood in front of the whole class, her gaze serious as she swept her eyes with the apparent intent of looking at everyone in the face._

 _And once her pink eyes focused on him she actually offered him a reassuring smile, almost as if she understood his current predicament. He ended up almost smiling back, truly hoping that there would be someone that would stop this madness from continuing._

 _Putting that trust on one Nanami Chiaki ended up being his own undoing._

" _Naegi-kun said he would be playing with me today but… We can all play together here if that's what you all want."_

 _And even though a deafening silence followed the Ultimate Gamer's statement, he could swear he heard something breaking inside of him._

 _What had Naegi Makoto done, he couldn't be sure._

 _But it couldn't get worse than this._

* * *

 _It somehow got worse._

 _Much worse._

 _He didn't know when._

 _He couldn't understand the how._

 _His mind simply wasn't able to figure out just what had happened._

 _But he had reached his limits by now._

 _If asked why, right there and then, then his answer would be that he saw something that should be impossible._

 _Something that simply went against everything that he believed in._

 _For he hated despair._

 _He hated it more than anything else in the world. It was such a disgusting feeling that served no other purpose than to make hope shine brighter than ever before._

 _It was something that he knew those that were driven by hope itself, like the Ultimates that filled Hope's Peak Academy, would never lose against._

 _So to know that there were not one, but two so-called_ Ultimates _roaming around the school, both filled with nothing but that disgusting feeling had been more than enough to send him into overdrive._

 _He would get rid of them, for there was simply no way he would let such individuals taint the title of Ultimate or the school he loved so much._

 _That had been his plan._

 _And he was more than ready to carry it out, consequences be damned as long as he was able to help bring hope to the world._

 _And yet… that plan had been derailed._

 _Because of the change in one of them. The Ultimate Soldier, a girl that used to ooze nothing but despair from the moment he had set his eyes on her, a deplorable human being if he ever saw one._

 _But today he saw it in her. That same glint that had started to shine brightly in each of his classmate's eyes. The same shine that had appeared in his senpais, and the same one that was starting to form in those that just started their life in Hope's Peak Academy._

 _He saw it clearly in her eyes._

 _For where there was once a pool of nothing but despair, now shined a small glint of what he could only describe as one thing._

 _Hope…_

 _And when it came to the responsible of such an impossible thing, his mind could only think of one culprit._

" _Komaeda-senpai…"_

 _Maybe he wasn't thinking straight at the time._

 _He was sure that slamming the boy against the wall while grabbing him by the hoodie was not something he would usually do…_

 _But right now he didn't care about any of that._

 _He just needed answers, and the only one that could give them to him was the Luckster in his grasp._

 _The same boy that even in this position refused to look intimidated at all, and instead opted to look up at him with a smile of all things, almost as if he hadn't just pretty much assaulted him._

 _He wasn't even sure of the type of expression he was showing in his face, but he doubted it was able to show just the amount of feelings that seeing him smiling like that brought within him._

 _They weren't happy ones, to say the least._

" _How…" He whispered harshly between ragged breaths, with his hold on the younger Ultimate becoming even tighter. "How could someone like you…to everyone… to_ her _…?"_

 _It simply went against everything he knew. Someone like them with useless talents shouldn't be able to bring such hope to anyone, let alone those that were true Ultimates!_

 _And yet…_

" _I told you, didn't I?" Makoto answered without missing a beat, still with that insufferable smile plastered on his lips. "That I would show senpai a source of hope that not even you could deny…"_

 _A source of hope? Of course he remembered that declaration, for his mind simply refused to forget. He simply couldn't accept it, however, that someone like Naegi Makoto could have such a thing._

" _Because hope doesn't have to come from talents in the first place." The brown-haired boy continued, and with each word, he felt his own body simply shaking. "Even if you think that our talent isn't that good, we can still bring hope to our friends without having to hurt them!"_

" _Hope…does not come from talents…?" He murmured, the words sounding nothing but alien as he said them, even leaving a bad taste in his mouth. How could Makoto say such a thing? That had to be a lie, as simple as that._

" _You saw it already, didn't you?" It was almost as if Makoto could read his mind however, for the boy spoke once more before he was even able to react. "That even Ikusaba-san is able to feel that within her… That not only anyone can feel hope, but that they can also help others obtain it!"_

 _He gritted his teeth in frustration, wanting nothing more than to deny everything in Makoto's face. But as soon as that intent came it was replaced by the faces of his classmates, and the way they had changed from last year._

 _He felt sick. Not only because he couldn't even deny what he had felt from Ikusaba Mukuro, but that he couldn't found himself denying that the feeling he loved so much had indeed formed inside his classmates._

 _And whether he liked it or not, it was more than obvious that Naegi Makoto had been involved in that somehow._

 _He released his grip on the shorter boy, and without saying anything he simply turned around. He heard the Luckster call out to him almost immediately, but he simply ignored it._

 _Right now he couldn't face such a thing._

 _It scared him, to be honest, to start believing in those words._

* * *

" _Yukizome-sensei told me you have been here for a while…"_

 _Even without moving his gaze from the roof he was still more than able to recognize that voice. Now that he actually thought about it said voice even sounded a lot like his own._

 _It was weird if he had to be honest, but not something that he would bring up or anything. He didn't feel like talking much right now, and instead just preferred to stay in silence with his body simply spiraled across the floor of his own Research Lab._

 _Well, he supposed it was_ their _Research Lab by now._

 _The 3rd year Ultimate Lucky Student never came here anyway, so it wasn't a surprise that it was just the two of them even though he would truly prefer to be alone right now, looking at the glistering orbs that rested on the roof of the room, more than ready to fall randomly into anyone with enough bad luck to get hit by them._

 _They were just filled with paint though, so it wasn't that big of a deal._

 _He had been resting here for a couple of days and none had hit him._

 _In retrospective, maybe hiding in such a place had not been the best of ideas._

" _She told me you haven't been going to class either… Nanami-senpai got quite worried too."_

 _Of course she would, for Nanami Chiaki was simply too nice for her own good, even going as far as to worry about someone like him. Their teacher was just the same though, so he wasn't that surprised on that regard, even if he found himself unworthy._

 _He felt the boy walking closer to him, and then going as far as to sit right next to him. He still said nothing though, for he didn't even know what to say. Getting angry at the younger boy wouldn't help at all, that much he understood by now, for it was not at him that he felt angry towards._

 _But rather at himself._

 _He hated how lost he was feeling at the moment, because every time he tried to reason that the younger Luckster was wrong he felt like he would be denying the very own feeling that he loved so much and that he was seeing in his friends._

 _And doing such a thing was something he was unable to do, not when the proof was right there._

 _So with the one responsible for giving him such conflictive feelings sitting right beside him, there was only one question that could escape his lips._

" _How…" He whispered, barely high enough for Makoto to listen. "Someone like you…how are you able to do it? I don't get it…"_

 _His gaze still refused to move from the roof, even as one of the spheres filled with paint suddenly fell out of it and landed a few feet to his right. The silence that followed his question did little to help him, but just as he thought that Makoto would simply leave him in silence the brown-haired teen finally decided to grace him with an answer._

 _It just wasn't the one he had expected._

" _I remember feeling like that before, actually." Makoto spoke after taking a deep breath, almost as if he wasn't comfortable with what he was about to say, "I thought I just wasn't worthy of being here… I mean, how could plain old me be on the same level as people as amazing as the ones going to this school?"_

 _He actually found himself nodding at those words, and for the first time, he actually found a common ground with the young boy that had the same talent as him._

 _He knew for a fact though, that there was a 'but' coming._

" _I actually still feel like that from time to time…" Makoto continued, his words now getting his full attention. "But a…friend once made me realize that you don't need an incredible talent to help others… and that sometimes even just being optimistic when everything goes wrong is more than enough."_

 _The smile filled with melancholy that Makoto wore at that moment confused him more than what he would like to admit, but the ahoge-haired boy seemed to not be done with his speech._

" _You actually remind me a lot of another friend of mine, Komaeda-senpai." Makoto was now aiming his smile at him, with warm brown eyes meeting his cold silver ones. "He was really adamant on how things had to be done in order to bring hope to the world… to the point that it almost destroyed everything he loved…"_

 _A flash of pain moved so quickly through Makoto's eyes that he could have sworn it had been an illusion, but before he was able to think more about it Makoto had already sprung to his feet, with his smile still present on his face._

" _That's why I wanted to show it to Komaeda-senpai… a way for hope to exist without having to hurt others so that everyone can smile without regret." Such a thing sounded too fantastic, even to him, but it seemed his frown of skepticism did little to deteriorate Makoto's will._

" _Because…" Makoto continued without missing a beat. "To Komaeda-senpai that loves everyone and wants to show them hope to such a degree, something that I admire even if I can't agree with your methods… Aren't such strong beliefs worthy of the title of Ultimate all by themselves?"_

 _His eyes widened more than ever before with that declaration, with his whole being shaking in response. He raised his body into a sitting position, with his gaze fixated on the boy standing in front of him that refused to stop smiling at him._

" _So even if senpai doesn't believe in himself, I will never stop believing in what you can do, Komaeda-senpai! Because I know for a fact that senpai is someone that will be able to bring hope to the future, alongside everyone else!"_

 _Those words…_

 _How long had he longed to hear something like that from someone, he had to wonder…?_

 _No, that wasn't right. His Class Representative and his teacher had tried to tell him something like that before, but he had ignored it._

 _And yet here was this boy, someone that he had passed off as nothing but a waste of space, now offering him something that he didn't know if he was even worthy of accepting…_

" _Please, Komaeda-senpai!" Naegi Makoto extended his hand towards him, and it was only now that he was truly able to understand the light shining in those brown eyes. "Help me protect everyone's hope!"_

 _Had he been so blind to his feelings that he had ignored such a strong hope shining so brightly inside the younger Luckster to the point that it was honestly blinding him?_

 _What an idiotic guy he had been…_

 _And as he looked at the extended hand, a million different emotions moved through his gaze at the same time. Apprehension, fear, bewilderment, expectation and even, dare he say it, hope?_

 _Could he take it? Such an offer of acceptance? To the him that had been rejected every since his parents died._

 _An offer of a purpose to the lost him that had only months to live?_

 _Did he even deserve such a thing after how he had treated the boy in front of him?_

 _Or was this just a dream and he would simply wake up as soon as his fingers touched that hand?_

 _He raised his own hand slowly, timidly, almost as if making any sudden movements would scare Makoto away._

 _But such a thing never happened, and it didn't matter how long it took him, Naegi Makoto never stopped offering him his hand and a smile filled with purpose._

 _So when his fingers grasped on that palm, he ended up latching to that hand as if it was his lifeline, and with that, it was nothing but warmness that coursed through his body._

 _And even after minutes he still refused to let go, fearing that if he did he would lose it all again, for right now there was nothing else that terrified him most than being rejected by the same smile that was offering him peace right now._

" _I just hope that I'm able to help Komaeda-senpai find his own hope someday…"_

 _But the last words that he received from Naegi Makoto weren't ones of rejection, but rather an invitation for a future he couldn't even being to imagine._

 _And with those words, it was an honest smile what blossomed in him, the first one that he had ever aimed at the younger Luckster._

 _To find his own hope, he said…_

 _Maybe he already had._

* * *

" _You're Hinata Hajime-kun, correct?"_

 _He truly never expected to set foot in a place like this, but he knew that desperate times called for desperate methods._

 _He had hoped to do this fast, but judging by the confused expression in the brown-haired teen in front of him he knew it wouldn't be the case._

" _Yes…?" The Reserve Course student answered with more than a bit of doubt while looking obviously sizing him up. "And who wants to know that exactly?"_

" _There's no need to mind me, really." He raised his hand in an offer of peace while also showing a smile. "I just came to deliver something."_

 _There was still nothing but a frown of confusion on Hajime's face, but it wasn't something that he particularly cared as long as he received what he came to offer, which was why he extended his hand before Hajime even got a time to react, with the obvious intent of giving him the piece of paper that was resting between his fingers._

 _And it took a few seconds and more than one look of suspicion, but the ahoge-haired boy did end up grabbing said piece of paper, which was quickly followed by him looking at it in open confusion, a look which was quick to move towards him after a few seconds._

" _A lottery ticket?" Hajime said in doubt, to which he could only nod in response._

" _Consider it a gift," He said as he turned his body since he was more than ready to leave. "That ticket won the big prize a few minutes ago, so I'm sure you will be able to use that money to stick around for a while more, Hinata-kun."_

 _And the way that Hajime's eyes almost bulged out of his sockets after he revealed that was honestly amusing by itself._

" _W-what?!" The talentless teen cried out in surprise, no holding the ticket as if it was some sort of sacred treasure. "W-why…how?!"_

" _Like I said, consider it a gift." He repeated easily._

" _B-but I can't… I don't even know you!" It was obvious that Hajime wouldn't be accepting of the gift just like that, however, which he found truly weird for someone that desperately needed the money, at least as far as he knew._

" _I'm not doing this for you, Hinata-kun." He responded after releasing a sigh, earning a raised eyebrow from the young man in question. "I'm doing this for Makoto-kun's sake."_

" _Makoto?" Hajime looked somehow even more confused than before, that much was obvious, but it wasn't like he felt like explaining much right now in the first place._

" _You're his friend, right?" He asked, doing his best to sound as neutral as possible, to which Hajime simply nodded stoically in response. "I don't want Makoto-kun getting stressed over the fact that you can't pay off the tuition, as simple as that."_

 _And even though Hajime obviously understood the words he was still more than a bit wary of it, but it wasn't like he was going to take a no for an answer right now of all things._

" _I don't particularly care for what happens to you, Hinata-kun," He said as he fully turned to leave. "But I do care about Makoto-kun, and I owe him a lot. That prize means little to me, so I would just take it if I were you…Unless you want for Makoto-kun to worry about it unnecessarily."_

" _You… expect me to just accept all of this just like that? You haven't even told me your name!"_

" _Like I said, this is for his sake, not yours. If you start making Makoto-kun worry for dumb reasons then I won't just sit by and watch." He declared with an air of finality, truly just wanting for the talentless boy to accept the gift and be done with it._

 _He truly meant what he said, and while he knew that this wouldn't fix everything that he had done, it was at least a start. Figuring out why Makoto had looked gloomy as of late had been easy enough, especially with Chiaki's assistance._

 _And of course, buying one lottery ticket and actually winning had been just a normal occurrence to him._

 _And while a part of him would truly prefer for someone like Hinata Hajime to leave the school, he simply couldn't ignore the fact that he could help Makoto in any way, even if it was small._

 _Whatever feelings he had for someone from the Reserve Course were simply outmatched by his feelings towards the younger Luckster, as simple as that._

" _I don't see what Makoto-kun sees in you if I'm honest." He still felt like leaving a few partying words to the obviously conflicted teen, who was now going from glaring to looking confused. "But what do I know? I just hope Makoto-kun isn't putting his trust in the wrong place…for both of your sakes."_

 _Naegi Makoto was one that saw the best in everyone._

 _Even in trash like himself…_

 _And even if right now he still wasn't able to truly understand how he did it…_

" _Goodbye, Hinata-kun."_

 _As long as he could keep seeing that hopeful smile that saved him, the opportunity for a bright future would be there for everyone._

 _He would just have to protect him then._

 _At all cost._

* * *

That took longer than I thought it would…

I even ended up saying some stuff I don't think I should have… _He_ told me had explained those details to you already though. I'm surprised I'm still allowed here even after that If I'm honest.

Not that I'm complaining or anything…

I wonder how Makoto-kun is right now… I heard he was sick so I don't think I will be seeing him today?

I know I could always go to his house, but I think that is already being handled by the others and I wouldn't want to meddle too much…

I don't think his sister likes me very much either though.

Are we done here then? I hope that will help you with whatever you're planning.

One last question? Sure.

Well, if I had to describe Makoto-kun in one phrase…

Doesn't Ultimate Hope sound appropriate, Kirigiri-san?

* * *

 **Of course, thanks to** **Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this mess of a chapter.**

 **Now first let me apologize for two things. First is the delay, which is the result of real life being, well, real life. I never expected for this chapter to take so long, especially since it doesn't move the plot at all, and for that, I can only say I'm sorry.**

 **Second is for the quality of the chapter itself. I'll admit it and say that I think this is the weakest chapter so far, which is a shame since I like Nagito quite a bit. Writing about him, however, especially in a chapter like this, is obviously not my forte with how many things are apparently going through his head.**

 **Now I can only assume that this chapter might be confusing, especially after the previous one's ending. My plan was to always have a chapter like this between the end and beginning of an arc, as in a chapter that explained another side of the story, with this one focusing on the relationship between the two Lucksters. Why Nagito? I mostly just felt like it to be honest, that and plot-wise he is one of the last ones to start getting a bit too obsessed with Makoto in this story (ignoring the V3 cast which is a different matter altogether). I also needed this chapter to flesh out a few things before anyone got confused, like with Hajime for example.**

 **For the future, I was also planning to do chapters like this for the rest of the characters for those that wanted to have more specific details about the events that got us to the current present in this story, but that will depend on you guys. Do you want more chapters like this in the future? Of course, I will let you pick which characters to handle first so that you will all get to see your favorite ones first.**

 **Next chapter, which will with any luck come out sooner, will go back to the plot. A lot of people are trying to guess who send that message and that is something that I enjoy. Danganronpa is a mystery series, after all, so doing one for this story simply felt right. Who sent the message? That is for everyone to find out.**

 **Thank you all for having read this far and for the support you have all given to this story with your views, favorite, followers and of course the reviews. Next chapter shall be better, that much I hope. Thanks to both of my betas for their patience and help and thanks to Dancantsin for the fanart.**

 **Next Chapter: Surprise home visit.**


	10. Resting is Optional

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **Before we go into the chapter itself though, I want to bring attention to a fic that I really recommend for everyone here that likes reading about Makoto and the ladies of Danganronpa: "Everyday Life with Ultimate Girls" by wesst1 is definitely a good read and I hope to see more of it in the future.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Resting is Optional**

" _ **It's Punishment Time!"**_

 _He failed._

 _He wasn't able to stop it._

 _Everything was his fault. They had left their hopes for the future in his hands and he had done nothing but to fail at protecting it._

 _And now he could only sit there and wait for it all to just end._

 _He could only wait as the feelings of the chains covering his body became tighter, firmly locking him in the wooden chair he was resting on._

 _His gaze was low, for he just couldn't dare to raise his head. He couldn't because he knew that the only thing he would see would be the faces of those that he had let down._

 _And if he did that, he wasn't sure he would be able to hold in the yell that right now threatened to escape his throat._

 _He knew he was being naïve though, for right now he wasn't in control of anything._

 _The only one with power in this room was_ _ **him**_ _._

" _ **Upupupupu, there's no need to be shy, Naegi Makoto-kun."**_ _He could only grit his teeth as a result of hearing that same damned voice. His blood became as cold as ice once he realized it would be the last thing he would ever hear._ _ **"Don't you want to say goodbye to everyone before you graduate?"**_

 _He wasn't going to give that thing the satisfaction of getting an answer out of his lips, but once more he was reminded of how futile it was to go against that monster in his own territory, once he felt something metallic tightly grabbing the back of his head before yanking him backwards, forcing him to look up at the source of his ever-growing despair._

 _And in response Monokuma simply sat there while looking down at him, with his red eye shining and his permanent smile present as always in his face. The black-and-white bear actually sat in silence for a full five seconds right before another demented cackle escaped him, which was followed by a shake of his head._

" _ **I don't get why you're so surprised, Naegi-kun,"**_ _Monokuma spoke in a friendly tone, one that honestly made him feel sick._ _ **"This isn't one of those fancy games with multiple endings, you know? It doesn't matter what you do, this will always be the final outcome!"**_

 _This time he wasn't able to avoid it, and he did his best to refute the bear's declaration. No sounds left his mouth however, even though his lips were moving._

 _The perplexed, wide-eyed look he had on his face as soon as he realized that was quickly matched by a chuckle from Monokuma._

" _ **Yelling at your Headmaster isn't allowed, now I'll have to make your punishment worse!"**_ _Monokuma even went as far as to bring up his claws just so show how angry he supposedly was._

 _Almost as if the thing had heard the bear, a bright red button appeared right in front of the talking robot, one that Makoto recognized quite easily._

" _ **Feel free to say goodbye while you can, although I don't think they'll be able to hear you right now."**_ _And then, almost to the point of being unceremonious, Monokuma pushed the red button with his paw. No fanfare, no hammer or even a laugh, almost as if it meant nothing for the talking bear._

 _He realized though, that it probably didn't. Monokuma had won a long time ago after all, and right now this was just a formality more than anything else._

 _And he could feel it, for just as that button had been pressed he could feel_ something _going down at him from above with one obvious attempt. But every time the thing went down it suddenly stopped before going up once more, and then down again, only that this time it moved closer to its target._

 _Him._

 _He wasn't given the chance to ponder much about such a thing however, for Monokuma was a bear of his words and with the press of that button, he had also made his chair slowly spin on its place, allowing him to get a full view of the ones filling the spaces in the trial room._

 _His body refused to let him close his eyes, almost as if this was a punishment that he deserved. Something that was probably true, he decided in the back of his mind, but even such a thought didn't stop the trembling of his body or the tears that fell down his cheek._

 _The bruised, almost unrecognizable body of the Ultimate Baseball Star and the melted, now turned to butter form of the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader._

 _The corpses of both the Ultimate Doujin Author and the Ultimate Moral Compass, both with blood going down their head as they stared blankly at him._

 _The tied up form of the Ultimate Programmer alongside the still burning figure of the Ultimate Gambler._

 _The two best friends, the Ultimate Martial Artists and the Ultimate Swimming Pro stood alongside one another, one with an expression full of misery with blood dripping from her lips and the other with a knife penetrating her gut and a face filled with loathing._

 _Blood poured out of the body of the Ultimate Writing Prodigy as a result of the multiple scissors planted through her form, a mirror of the Ultimate Soldier who stood beside her with pieces of metal still impaled through her._

 _The blue, practically frozen form of the Ultimate Affluent Progeny soon followed in his sight, with the corpse of the Ultimate Clairvoyant following soon after, with vines with thorns surrounding him in a bloody torture._

 _And at such a sight he did the only thing he could do. He begged for their forgiveness in his mind. He tried to yell apologies but no sounds were able to leave him. He even tried to break free from his prison but it only made the bear watching over him to release another mocking laugh._

 _Finally the chair stopped moving, but it wasn't an act of mercy. He knew better. For right in front of him now stood two visages that had him all but wishing he could avoid what he knew was about to come._

 _There stood the bloodied form of the Ultimate Pop Sensation, still with the knife planted firmly in her stomach and a smile that he would have described as angelic in any other situation._

 _And of course, the Ultimate Detective was the one that stood by her side, blood dripping from the corner of her lips just as the consequences of the poison made themselves visible in her body._

' _I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry' He repeated in his mind countless time, even though he knew it was futile to do so. Their lips parted and he knew what would come next, just as the thing above him got closer and closer each time it went down._

 _For Monokuma knew that his mockery wouldn't be able to break him._

 _But if it came from them? To hear from their lips that this was his fault?_

 _It would be too much._

 _And maybe, true to his title, it was luck the only thing that could save him from such a fate._

 _For right before he was able to hear those condemning words coming from the ones he loved, he felt the massive object finally going down at full force._

 _In less than a second it met his body._

 _And then, Naegi Makoto was no more._

* * *

The next time he opened his eyes it was a forceful action, one that left him with his gaze wide-open and his eyes trembling as they were locked into the ceiling of his room.

His breathing came out in short, ragged bursts and his right hand ended up moving toward his chest in instinct, with the feeling of his ragging heart seemingly trying to burst out of his ribcage being the only thing he was able to feel through his sweaty palm.

His gaze moved wildly throughout his room just as nothing but cold sweat slowly slid down from his forehead, with only one feeling reflecting in those brown orbs of his.

Sheer terror.

Not knowing what else to do he pushed his slugged body to move, almost forcing it with how much strength he had at the moment, but even so, he was only able to roll about on the bed.

Luckily, or maybe unluckily depending on who you asked, his bed wasn't that big to allow much movement.

"Guh!" The sound of his body meeting the floor beside the bed was the next thing that filled the room, alongside his groan of pain.

The pain actually helped him though, for it was only with his body sprawled on the floor that he was able to leave the state of panic in which he had been caught not even a few seconds before.

His labored breathing became steadier with each second, while his hand that still rested on his raising chest clutched his white shirt with such force that he knew it might get ripped if he did any sudden movement.

"Just a nightmare, just a nightmare." He repeated under his breath almost like a mantra. His throat felt as dry as hell itself while the cold sweat still moved down his tired body, not unlike how he normally ended after one of the insane workout sessions he sometimes got caught in.

The only difference was that this somehow felt a lot worse than that.

It actually took him a few minutes to finally be able to settle down, and even after that he still refused to move, with half-lidded, clouded stare simply being aimed up just as he took deep, slow breaths.

But for as comfortable as the floor of his room was, he was more than aware that he just couldn't stay there forever, even if his body and mind were begging for him to do so.

So with one last tired sigh he raised his upper-body before using the bed as a support to get himself back on his feet. He quickly moved to sit in his bed however for he could already feel the beginning of a headache that was starting to form while his gaze stayed glued to the floor.

The frown that marred his face only became more pronounced as the images he had just experienced decided to replay themselves in his mind, forcing him to shake his head forcefully in an attempt to make such thoughts disappear.

Suffice to say it didn't work out. In fact, it only made the pain he was feeling in his head somehow worse.

He had grown used to such a thing however, for this was hardly the first time such a nightmare had plagued him ever since he had escaped the final Killing Game.

The Suicide Video was, after all, something that would become the last thing a person saw before they took their own life. And yet he had been able to survive it as a result of a certain Ultimate Boxer's sudden appearance.

But even so, those images had refused to just leave him. It had been pretty bad in the days following the death of the majority of the leaders of Future Foundation, and even after traveling through time of all things he was still plagued with those more often than he would have liked.

He did his best to hide it however, for there was no need to make anyone worry like that, not after everything that his friends had gone through back in his timeline, and certainly not here where everyone was free from the suffering that was Despair.

Heck, he could even stomach it most of the time, and honestly speaking he couldn't remember the last time it had affected him _this_ badly.

But he knew why that was though, for this time it all felt so much real, so vivid to the point that he could still smell the blood, feel the condemning gazes aimed at him and of course, hear the maddening laugh of a teddy-bear of all things.

And he was also aware of the one responsible for that.

His brown eyes instantly moved to the object resting on the opposite end of the bed, exactly where he remembered throwing the damn thing the night before.

He glared at the device, almost as if blaming it of his current misfortune, but with another sigh leaving his dry lips he realized such a thing was nothing short of childish.

Don't blame the messenger, as they say.

His hand shook a bit just as he stretched to grab the phone, with his thumb moving in the recurrent movements he had to do to unlock the device in the first place.

His finger stopped right above the screen just a second later though, for if he pressed the icon that he had been aiming for he would be greeted by yesterday's message.

And as much as he hated to admit it, a part of him just wanted to ignore the message that he knew now rested in his phone. To act as if it had all just been a part of the nightmare, maybe even buy a new phone just to not have to look at this one anymore.

But even with such doubtful whispers in the back of his head he ended up simply biting his lip before pressing the message icon in his phone and moving forward until he found the culprit of his current state.

After all, with what face would he be able to look at certain underclassmen of his if he didn't follow what he preached?

And in less than a few seconds his gaze found what he was looking for, proving that he hadn't imagined it in the first place.

His hold on the phone became tighter with every word he read. The message itself wasn't very long for the fortune of the device itself, and so it didn't take long for the brown-haired Ultimate to simply read it once more.

And then twice, and thrice again.

And every time he finished he quickly jumped back to read it again, almost as if trying to find some sort of hidden message inside the rather short text.

But even after minutes of repeating the same actions almost religiously, Naegi Makoto was left with two simple questions.

Who and how?

Who could have sent him such a message?

And of course…

How could said person know such details about him?

Just those two questions by themselves brought along so many different thoughts and ideas that he actually found himself moving a hand through his hair in another failed attempt to put together the clustered mess that his brain was at the moment.

Suffice to say, trying to call whoever had sent him the message simply didn't work. He couldn't even send an answer, almost as if the number didn't exist in the first place.

And with another sigh leaving his lips he realized that this was another one of those moments in which he truly missed the comfort that was the help of a certain lavender-haired detective.

Of course, he could, in theory, get the help of said detective here too, she had made that abundantly clear by now, but that would open up a can of worms that he was most certainly not ready to touch.

"Future Foundation…game…Ultimate Despair?" His whispers revealed his inner wonders even more, although once that cursed title left his lips only one image appeared in his mind.

Enoshima Junko…

If it was Ultimate Despair then, who else could it but Junko herself? But even as resourceful as Junko could be, how could she have found out about his secret? The only one that was supposed to know that was…!

"Headmaster Kirigiri…" Had something happened to the man? No, he had been just fine yesterday, and the older Kirigiri was too alert by now to let Junko get a jump on him, but from where else could have Junko learned about the future?

His eyes widened just as another thought appeared in his head. His knowledge of the future had been his greatest weapon so far, but now imagining what Junko could do with such knowledge…

It was enough to send a shiver down his spine. That was one of the reasons that even after two years he still hadn't revealed _everything_ to the Headmaster. He wasn't even _supposed_ to tell the man anything at all in the first place, but desperate times had called for desperate measures.

But now though, it seemed that said decision had come to bite him.

What was he supposed to do now? If Junko had truly learned details about the future behind his back, what else had she been doing without him noticing? That doubt, combined with the fact that the message had been an invitation to a _game_ of all things, was more than enough to make him tremble just as images of his nightmare decided to make themselves present once again.

He couldn't allow that to happen again.

No, he _wouldn't_ allow it.

He had to do something; he needed to intervene before it was too late.

He needed to stop her, he just had t-

"Onii-chan?"

The sudden call of a soft voice from the door of his room was enough to bring him out of his erratic thoughts, with nothing but surprise showing in his face as he looked towards the person that was standing behind the half-opened door.

"K-Komaru?" His voice wavered just as he caught the sight of his little sister, who for her part sported nothing but a worried frown on her face, with her eyes showing nothing but concern just as she stood almost shyly behind the door.

"I knocked but you weren't answering…" The younger resident of the Naegi household spoke softly. "Mom told me to come and get you since breakfast is ready, but…"

It was more than obvious to the Luckster that his little sister wanted to say something, but she just wasn't able to find the right words. He didn't need to be a genius to figure out what was on her mind though, for he could only imagine how he looked right now.

Because for as little as he liked to use that kind of language, one of the phrases the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader used easily popped out in his mind.

He probably looked like shit.

He definitely felt like it, at the very least.

"Sorry…" He said just as he stood up with a smile on his lips, even if said smile didn't quite reach his eyes "I just got a bit distracted by something…"

Of course, he knew that he wasn't fooling her with just that, her face showed that much to anyone watching, but as far as he was concerned the further Komaru was from something like _this_ , the better.

He even hid his phone in his pocket as quickly as possible, almost as if just having the thing out in the open near his sister was dangerous enough.

"I just need to wash my face really quick!" He continued without giving the ahoge-haired girl any time to say anything else.

"Onii-chan…" But even after leaving his room he could still Komaru's gaze making a hole in the back of his head. He still continued on though, acting as if he hadn't heard the concern dripping from her voice.

He truly had to force himself to not turn around, for knowing that it was him the one making his sister worry was enough to make him bite his lip in frustration.

But he forced himself to ignore her at that moment, for if he faced her right there he wasn't sure he would be able to hide the sheer terror that was slowly crawling back into his eyes.

* * *

"Son…are you sure everything is fine?"

It wasn't a question that surprised him, considering how he had expected to hear it from someone in the table sooner or later. In fact, the fact that they took so long to bring it up was the only thing that actually surprised him.

Expecting it didn't make answering said question any easier, however.

"Y-yeah…" He answered just as he looked up to see the concerned face of his father, while also kicking himself mentally for answering in such a shaky way. "I'm just… A bit under the weather today, I guess…"

It didn't take a genius to realize that his dad found his answer lacking if the frown he wore in response was any indication. The fact that he could also see his mother's worried expression from the side of the table didn't help either.

He tried to go back to his meal, but it was a bit hard to do so when you had four set of eyes looking at you like a hawk. Komaru hadn't stopped looking at him as if she was trying to decipher his very existence ever since they started eating their breakfast.

And even his pet dog was looking up at him from his side with as much worry as a puppy could show on his face. In the back of his mind he couldn't help but wonder how proud Peko would be if she saw how perceptive the little guy was.

But back on the topic of being the center of attention at the table…

"You can always rest for at least today, Makoto…" His mother's soft voice regarded him next. "You don't have to burn yourself with that school every day."

He could only nod silently at that, even though the reasons for his current turmoil weren't exactly on the academic end of things. He went back to his food, albeit with not much enthusiasm. His mother's food was good as always, but he simply found himself not really that hungry.

And of course, his mind found itself trapped on an endless set of questions that he couldn't answer by himself.

Meanwhile, both parents of the Luckster simply gave one another a worried glance. Of course, both felt more than pride and happiness by the fact that their only son was a student in such a prestigious place like Hope's Peak Academy.

They could still remember the sheer emotion that had filled them after finding out that their oldest child was going to study at a place that would guarantee him the best future anyone could ask for, but just like they had imagined keeping up with a place filled with geniuses was not an easy task.

And it showed with how tired Makoto looked most of the time, but while worried they still trusted their son to handle things at his own pace.

They were both a bit confused by the fact that Makoto spent even his free days at that place, but considering how…active, for a lack of better terms, his social life had become they supposed they shouldn't be that surprised.

But just like their daughter, they too could see that something was off with the Ultimate of the family, or at least more so than usual. It was easy to write off things before to stress, but this time it felt completely different.

Even their younger child was now giving them an almost pleading look, almost as if begging them to say something, and against such a look the patriarch of the Naegi household could do nothing but to cough loudly enough to gather the family's attention upon himself.

And with a serious look that was rarely on his aged face, he looked straight at his son, whose nervousness could be felt from a mile away. He thought about what to say properly before opening his mouth, more than ready to have a talk with his obviously ill-feeling child.

And he would have done so…

If it wasn't for the sound of the doorbell suddenly filling the table.

"I'll go!" And without even wasting a second, Naegi Makoto moved so fast from his seat that you would think the house suddenly got set on fire or something.

And with one blink it was only three Naegis that sat around the table alongside an empty seat and a plate of food almost untouched.

The soft pat on the back that the older Naegi got from his wife did little to alleviate the dejected way in which he hung his head not even a couple of seconds after that.

* * *

"Eh?! Shirogane-san, Nanami-senpai… Owada-kun?!" Even if one ignored the shock in his voice, the wide-eyed expression that had appeared in his face as soon as he opened the door of his house pretty easily told the world about how the Luckster felt about the situation at hand.

Of course, it wasn't like an Ultimate coming to his house was weird or anything in the first place, but he was pretty sure that such a thing wouldn't happen today, let alone with the specific individuals that were standing in front of him.

"Yo, Makoto!" The first one to greet him was his fellow member of class 78, Owada Mondo, who simply grinned at him from his spot to the right of the group.

"Sorry for bothering you like this, Naegi-senpai." In contrast to that came the polite voice of the younger Ultimate of the group, Shirogane Tsumugi, also known as the Ultimate Cosplayer of class 79.

"We came to check on you," And lastly, but certainly not any less important, was the oldest one there, the Ultimate Gamer herself, who did nothing but to offer a curious look and a tilted head. "Since you told everyone that you were too sick to go out today."

In retrospect maybe he should have thought of a better excuse, but in his defense saying that he had been close to having a mental breakdown didn't sound like the best thing to say through messages.

In fact, he could only blame himself for this right now. Normally he wouldn't mind at all, and while he truly felt grateful that they were so concerned they even came to check up on him, it was still a situation that he could hardly handle right now.

"You really _do_ look like crap though." Not minding his words, Mondo spoke while crossing his arms over his chest and frowning. "I thought you were fine yesterday, that's how Kirigiri made it sound at least."

"He was." Chiaki followed up quickly, refusing to move her gaze away from the increasingly pale Luckster, who could only gulp for being at the receiving end of such a look.

"Maybe we should have really brought Tsumiki-senpai with us…" Tsumugi continued in a worried tone, for while she was used to seeing the Luckster tired he really did look like he shouldn't be out of bed in the first place.

"T-That's…!" Knowing that changing the subject at hand would be better than to let this continue, the time-traveler tried to search for a valid enough excuse. His nervous expression however, was quick to turn into one of confusion right before he moved his gaze around, trying to find something that obviously wasn't there.

Which was kind of the issue in the first place.

"It's just the three of you?" He asked worriedly, not wanting to sound as if he was expecting everyone to just leave everything that they were doing to come here and see if he was fine, but also knowing that such a thing wouldn't be _that_ far-fetched.

Last time he had said something remotely similar it had turned into an international problem, after all.

He was sure half of his school was still not allowed to set a foot into Novoselic, at least for the foreseeable future.

…poor Makango.

"Well…" It was the blue-haired Ultimate the one that answered his doubt. "We didn't want to upset your family by bringing everyone here so, we thought one per class would be enough."

A quiet nod and a grunt of agreement were followed by the Ultimates to her side. The explanation was a bit short, but they had decided already to not share every detail of how they had gotten to that agreement.

Better to skip the part in which someone set a desk on fire.

And the broken window…

"I…see?" He certainly understood that it was a better alternative rather than having three whole classes in his rather modest house, although something told him that his parents wouldn't have minded _that_ much if the writing board in their room was anything to go by.

He then blinked confusedly for a couple of seconds, trying to picture a peaceful discussion that his friends could have used to decide who got to come.

He found none, at least any legal one for that matter.

"But how did you…?"

"We played cards in our classroom," Mondo answered first this time while sporting a smirk, obviously feeling proud about being the victor over the rest of class 78.

And while that sounded alright in his books, wouldn't that mean that-

"We also made Yamada distract Ludenberg while the rest played," The taller Ultimate continued with a shrug. "So he's probably dead by now or something."

There was a second of silence for their most likely fallen comrade.

"We just drew sticks in ours," Tsumugi followed with a small hum. "We also tied Oma-kun to a chair and gave him the last one, just in case."

At hearing that he opened his mouth to say something, but he found himself simply closing it in silence and nodding in understanding.

"Convincing Kirumi-san to stay was a bit difficult though," She continued with a wry smile. "But she understood that keeping an eye on Oma-kun was a necessity too…"

That explained not having the Ultimate Maid already in his home, he supposed.

His gaze was then drawn to the so far silent girl, who without him noticing had moved closer to him. Whatever comments he had about that fact died in his throat however, as soon as he felt the cold sensation of the older girl's palm against his own forehead.

"We played Rock-Paper-Scissors. Komaeda-kun had to do something with Headmaster-san, or else he would probably be here instead." The Ultimate Gamer explained easily while moving her hand from his forehead to his neck, touching him with the back of her hand. "You don't seem to have a fever…"

He didn't, but with the light pink-haired girl moving closer into his personal space as if it didn't matter he was going to start burning up at any moment.

He could only hope that the older Luckster hadn't done anything to the point that it needed a call from the Headmaster, although he was most certainly going to ask the older Kirigiri about that as soon as he saw him.

At least it proved that the man himself seemed to be fine, which was at least something he could now take off his mind to the very least.

"We also wanted to bring Tsumiki-san to help, but…" The Cosplayer spoke in what he could only describe as a somber tone, one that had him looking at her with confusion.

"She was…busy." Mondo finished for her, and he could have sworn that he could hear something strange in his voice.

Was that…fear?

He could only wonder…

* * *

"E-Eh?! H-his heart rate is going d-down again! Kimura-senpai!"

"We are not losing you again today, Kizakura-sensei!"

"M-Matsuda-san, please keep him steady!"

"Can't we just give him a time of death already? I'm pretty sure the human body shouldn't be bending like that…"

"That's not funny, Matsuda-kun."

"I mean, what the hell did he even do to piss off Yukizome to the point of _this_ …?"

"…"

"…"

"…It had to do with Naegi, didn't it?"

"…W-well…"

"Goddammit."

* * *

"But don't worry, Naegi-kun," Chiaki spoke with a confidence that wasn't normally found in her speech. "Tsumiki-san told us everything we needed to do."

The fact that her declaration was followed by Mondo cracking his knuckles and Tsumugi lifting the bag she had on her hands while chuckling in a definitely not disturbing manner did little to stop the cold sweat that was starting to go down his forehead once more.

"Onii-chan, who is it? You were taking too long and-"

The abrupt end of such a voice made the Luckster look behind him, with his brown eyes quickly catching on the frozen form of his little sister, who looked like a deer caught by a headlight, obviously as a result of the group of now waving Ultimates at her door.

It only took the ahoge-haired girl three exact seconds to recover proper functions of her brain however, and once that happened she did the only sensible thing she could muster.

"Mom!" Which, to Makoto's eyes, was apparently to bolt away as far as she could while screaming bloody murder.

"Komaru-chan might be sick too…I think." He could only hang his head at the happenings around him.

* * *

"What the hell?! It should be turning more smoothly than that!" Mondo yelled out in frustration while grabbing the controller in his hands so tight to the point everyone around him feared that it might actually break, with each second of the screen showing his character in last place only making things worse.

"I don't think they went with realism for this one…" Makoto replied with a wry smile. There was a green dinosaur on that bike, after all, so he was most definitely sure that they weren't going for a realistic approach for this game.

"Ne, Komaru-chan, why don't you play too?" Tsumugi asked the younger girl, who simply glared back suspiciously before grabbing her brother's shoulder even more tightly, earning just a chuckle from the Luckster.

If she played she would be forced to focus on the screen and that meant not being able to keep an eye on the Ultimates in the room.

Besides, she had learned to be wary of the Ultimate Cosplayer. Just remembering the last thing she wore for her was enough to make her both shiver and blush crimson.

"I'm good, thank you." She would not risk it. She could even imagine it already, just a blink and her brother would have even more unknown underwear below his bed.

"Guh…" As for the brother in question, he didn't know why his little sister was suddenly pinching his arm, but something told him that just taking it was the best choice.

"This was fun." Chiaki for her part simply enjoyed the experience of playing with someone else if the soft smile on her lips was proof of anything.

'Of course it was for you…' Everyone else though shared the same sentiment considering how the screen flashed everyone with a sign of defeat with the obvious exception of the Ultimate Gamer herself, who had shown them no mercy at all.

"We were supposed to take care of senpai though," Tsumugi spoke with a finger under her lip. "But instead we're just playing games."

"It's fine like this!" Considering what the alternatives had been, he definitely preferred to just sit and play video games rather than, well, whatever they had been planning on doing first.

He shuddered, remembering the object that the younger Ultimate had taken out of her bag after promising his parents that she, alongside Chiaki and Mondo, would be taking care of his health.

He didn't want to know what orifice that thing was supposed to go in.

"It's probably just stress anyway," The ahoge-haired boy continued as if it was just a small thing in the first place, while also putting up the best smile he could muster. "I'm sure I'll be better tomorrow."

He knew that was close to impossible unless this whole day so far actually ended up being just a dream, but his friends didn't need to know that part.

His words though, seem to do little to help if the frowns he received in response were any indication, even from his sister. He wasn't given time to say anything else to try and get rid of those frowns however, for the next thing he saw was the Ultimate Gamer to his left dropping her control and moving slightly towards him just before grabbing his arm with her hands.

"I know Kirigiri-san is already helping you, Naegi-kun," Chiaki spoke with a soft smile while looking up at the surprised Luckster. "But if you need help with your grades I remember everything they taught us last year…mostly."

The suddenness of her action was enough to catch him by surprise, leaving him with no words to use as a response. Before he was given the time to think of an answer though, he felt a rather big hand grabbing his shoulder tightly, forcing him to turn from the Gamer to the grinning Biker Gang Leader now kneeling to his right and slightly behind him.

"And if someone's bothering you…" With those words, Mondo raised his right fist while a threatening glint passed through his eyes. "Just say the words and I'll beat the shit out of them!"

"T-that's…" A part of him told him that he really needed to say something back to that, mostly for the sake of a certain blonde classmate of his more than anything else.

But almost as if they had planned this from the start, he was once again distracted before being able to give a proper answer, this time by the younger Ultimate of the group putting her hand on his free shoulder while sitting right beside the Ultimate Gamer.

"I talked with Akamatsu-san about this already…" The Cosplayer spoke slowly with a bright smile on her lips. "And you don't need to force yourself by helping our class all the time, senpai. I know that's supposed to be your job, but… we don't want to be a burden to senpai."

"I..." His throat felt dry all of a sudden, and whatever words that he wanted to say simply found themselves unable to leave his lips. He wanted to assure them though, to make them know that this wasn't their fault at all, and that just the fact that they were here talking, smiling, _living_ was enough to put a bit of peace into the storm that was his heart at the moment.

But he knew that he couldn't do it properly, not without revealing more stuff that he would like. He hated lying to everyone, he truly did, but he knew how necessary it was. This was why he focused so much on hiding his emotions whenever a memory of the past, or rather future, overwhelmed him.

He wasn't the only member of the Naegi family with conflicting thoughts at that moment however, for just a bit away from the group sat Komaru by herself, having separated from her brother for just a moment after feeling that he needed some space.

And in less than a second that spot that she had left had now been covered by the Ultimates that had invaded their home.

Watching the scene in front of her eyes made her feel conflicted. She was more than happy that her older brother had friends that cared so much about him, he deserved it in her opinion after all, but watching them like that just reminded her even more that her brother was one of those amazing people known as Ultimate.

While she herself was just, well…normal.

She shook her head, not wanting to let the loneliness that was creeping into her heart overwhelm her. Her brother was her brother, and no matter how much time he spent at that school, with them, that fact that would never change!

…right?

She opened her mouth to say something, feeling the necessity of making her presence remembered to the group, just at the same time that the Luckster parted his lips, trying to find the way to reassure them that this was an issue that he could handle one way or another.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting…"

But almost as if having some sort of radar that knew whenever one, or in this case, both of her kids were having an issue, the matriarch of the Naegi household let herself inside the room of her son with a polite smile on her face.

"…but I need a bit of help downstairs."

And in less than a minute the brown-haired woman had ushered both Mondo, who found himself unable to deny a request from the pushy mother, and her daughter, who gave the remaining three Ultimates in the room a regretful look before the door was closed, leaving the Ultimate of the family alone with the two girls.

And while this was hardly the first time such a thing had happened, he still couldn't stop feeling a tad bit self-conscious about such a fact. The fact that he was just standing in the middle of the room in silence didn't help either.

"Naegi-senpai," He wasn't forced to say something to break the awkwardness surrounding him though, for the voice of the Ultimate Cosplayer was quick to gain his attention. "You dropped this just now when you stood up-"

"N-no!" And before he even realized what he was doing he had already taken the cell phone out of her hands in such an abrupt way that even he found himself shocked by his own actions, a feeling that was shared by the rest if the guilty frown he was receiving from Tsumugi, alongside the confused one from Chiaki, served to prove anything.

He cursed himself mentally, now truly thinking that he was going insane if he was starting to do things like that. Was he really that much on edge that just the thought of someone grabbing his phone was enough to alarm him?

Apparently so.

"I'm sorry…" He apologized just as he looked down, hating the fact that not only he was feeling like this, but that he was also making others feel worse. If he had looked up though, he would have noticed the shared look both girls had at that moment, alongside the determined nod that they gave each other.

"Naegi-kun worries too much, I think…" Chiaki was the first to break the stalemate while also moving behind the Luckster.

"He does, doesn't he?" Tsumugi followed up nicely, and it was only the sound of the blue-haired girl pulling out something out of her bag that finally made him look up, the result of said action being a wide-eyed look to the point that his eyes almost busted out of his socket "And I know just the thing that would help him relax!"

"Eh?!" And before he could even have a word in he suddenly had a pair of arms grabbing him from behind in a hold that left him unable to do anything but to move his arms wildly, with the soft sensation that was touching his back doing little to help him at the moment.

"G-guys…!?"

"Don't worry, senpai. This is one of Nanami-senpai's favorite characters too, so I know you'll fit right into it" The Cosplayer said just as she moved slowly with one hand carrying a set of clothes, which was the key reason for his sudden nervousness.

That and the suddenly deranged look the girl had behind her glasses, almost as if a switch had suddenly been turned on inside of her.

Remembering the last times he had worn clothes for her, he couldn't say otherwise.

"I am _not_ putting on a skirt!" He declared in alarm, his face slowly going red and his ahoge standing up in fear. "…Again!"

"Don't worry, Naegi-kun. I'm sure it will suit you."

"That is _not_ the issue here, Nanami-senpai!" He also felt like asking her when had she become so strong to the point that his attempts at escaping her hold simply ended in nothing but their bodies being pressed together even more, but he was distracted of doing that by the feeling of Tsumugi's fingers suddenly touching his stomach, earning what could only be described as a squeak out of his lips.

He was only wearing a white shirt after all, so the younger Ultimate didn't have to try very hard for direct contact.

"Senpai once told me he would model for me if I needed him." Tsumugi's words felt like an arrow going through his heart, for he very well remembered saying such a thing. "That was one of the reasons I actually accepted going to Hope's Peak, you know?"

The loving smile she gave him with those words almost blinded him. It was a smile that he knew was meant for the craft she adored so much, a craft that he had wanted for her to keep developing in the future, which was why he had accepted at cosplaying alongside her if she ever wanted.

Thinking of such a thing he found himself closing his eyes, deciding to do as he had promised, only hoping that this time no one would take any pictures much to his embarrassment.

…He was sure that there were a few of those still going around though.

However, whatever he had been expecting ended up never coming, and instead the only thing he got was a light giggle from the glass-wearing Ultimate.

"Seeing senpai acting so shy is much better than seeing him frowning all day." Tsumugi spoke while smiling sadly to the surprised Luckster "Even if it is just for a few seconds, if we're able to take senpai's mind off whatever's bothering you then, isn't that the least we could do?"

"Naegi-kun likes to bottle everything up inside." Chiaki continued almost as if the whole thing had been rehearsed before, which as far as he knew might as well had been the case. "Playing is fine from time to time too."

"You two…" He said with a sigh before a light smile appeared on his lips. It was probably his first real one in the whole day, he had to admit "Thank you…" He continued with as much sincerity as he could muster, because they were right.

Even if it had been just a couple of seconds, it still felt infinitely better than the alternative.

"But of course…" And with those words, the dangerous look came back to the Cosplayer's eyes, her hand slowly trailing upwards the Luckster's body while she grabbed the clothes tightly with her other hands "If senpai still wants to wear it then I would gladly help you with it!"

"Nanami-senpai, help please!"

…Why was the only answer he got a more fierce hold and a mutter of how she needed to take a picture for Kyoko?!

Luckily though, he was saved by the figurative bell, or rather by the door of his room being opened once again.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-" The first one to say something was Komaru herself, who simply looked at the scene of her brother being grabbed from behind by a girl while another had her hand inside his shirt with a flushed face and erratic eyes, her trembling hand slowly going up to shakily point at the trio.

"My my… Your father now owes me a dinner too" The response of his mother in contrast was a lot more subdued, although he didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

And as for Mondo, who had apparently been forced to carry most of the trays to the room…

How was he able to give him a proud thumb up while still carrying things in both of his hands was simply beyond him.

* * *

"So? What is it, Makoto?" Mondo's gruff voice regarded him with curiosity just as the two stood alone in the hallway of the second floor by themselves, while even from there they could still hear the noise coming from downstairs.

While for his part he had his gaze glued down while he tried to come up with the right words to use with the taller Ultimate. He knew what he wanted to ask him, but he also knew that he needed to be careful with this.

In any other situation, he would not be doing something like this, but this was hardly a normal occurrence, now was it?

"Owada-kun…" He spoke as he raised his head with firmness in his gaze that Mondo knew by now meant serious business, something that actually made the taller Ultimate tense up.

"I need a favor from you." The Luckster continued without missing a beat. "I-I can't give you much detail but… I need your help right now, Owada-kun."

The small hint of desperation behind Makoto's voice just made Mondo's frown even fiercer, but after a few seconds the only thing he did was to give a small nod, truly wanting to hear what had his little friend like this and whatever he could do to help him.

"I need you to promise me…" And as soon as the words promise left Makoto's lips, Mondo had his eyes widened in surprise. It was no secret how much he valued that type of oath after all, so for Makoto to word it like that…

Whatever he had expected, it was not what came out of the Luckster's lips.

"That if something happens to me you will make sure my family is safe."

The tension that followed his statement could be even cut with a knife if necessary, with the grim determination that had appeared on his face being matched by Mondo's incredulous expression.

Of course, Owada Mondo wasn't one to be kept silent for too long.

"What the hell, Makoto?!" With as upset as he was, Mondo wasted no time in grabbing the time-traveler by the shirt and forcing him to meet his glare head-on, for whatever Makoto was implying with his request certainly didn't sit well with him "Why are you talking about as if you were about to die or something?!"

Would that be so much of a stretch though, considering what he was going to do today?

He understood by now after all, that just sitting and moping was going to get him nowhere. He had lowered his guard, he had underestimated Despair and now he was paying for it.

He was letting whoever sent him that message win just by letting it mess him up so much.

So he needed to act, to do something to stop this before it claimed its victim, and for that, he needed to go into the spider's web, so to speak.

He needed to meet _her_.

And if she truly knew about the future then… He couldn't go unprepared. There were already plans made in case something happened to him, but those were centered on Hope's Peak itself.

But with his family…

He would never forgive himself if something happened to them again. Just thinking of what his little sister had gone through and how his parents had ended up after the Tragedy… it was too much.

He needed to protect them, and with Hope's Peak being the center of everything he needed them as far away from there as possible.

And right now the only one here with enough influence on the streets to guarantee such a thing was…

"Please, Owada-kun." He begged just as he grabbed the arm that had a tight hold on his shirt, with his own gaze refusing to move away from Mondo's glare. "I know it sounds strange… B-but I can't explain it right now… Just, please, Owada-kun!"

The teen in question simply clicked his tongue before releasing his hold on his classmate, giving him more room to breathe. As for the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, he simply glared to the side, obviously deep in thought for what felt like an eternity to the shorter Ultimate.

Mondo's eyes however, were then moved once again towards Makoto, and with the way his gaze narrowed Makoto truly thought for a second that his request would be met with a denial.

That is, until Mondo simply sighed in obvious frustration before scratching the back of his head, now looking so tired that it honestly made the Luckster worried.

"Geez, dude," The taller Ultimate spoke without any of his previous bite in his tone. "How do you even get into so much crap?"

And with another shake of his head Mondo looked at his friend with the most serious look he could muster, which was followed by a small grunt and a tense nod.

"I get it, I get it… There are some things that a man has to do by himself." His words of acceptance got a smile in return from Makoto, but said smile quickly vanished once Mondo took a step closer towards him.

"But you better promise me too then," And with those words Mondo raised his right fist, leaving it hanging in front of the Luckster "That whatever you're doing, you're not going to fuck it up, you hear me? I better see you tomorrow in class you squirt!"

Makoto could only stare surprised at Mondo's figure before a look of determination once more flashed in his eyes. He raised his fist too, and in less than a second it made contact with Mondo's.

"That's a man's promise then." Mondo declared with a proud smirk on his lips "You better keep it or else I'll kill you myself, brother or not."

He had no intention of breaking that promise.

* * *

"You sure I can take him for a walk?" Seeing someone as tall as Mondo acting giddy by the idea of taking his pet dog out for a walk was quite the sight, although it was obvious that the dog in question was enjoying the attention of not only the man holding him, but also from the two girls that were petting him from the sides.

"Sure," Makoto answered easily and with a smile, one that this time wasn't forced. "Just make sure to bring him early. Komaru will get worried otherwise."

"Really sorry for intruding today, senpai" Tsumugi for her part simply apologized, but her words only got a shake of the head from the brown-haired teen.

"It was fun, Shirogane-san," He said as he scratched the back of his head "And… I really needed it too"

"I'm glad then…" The relieved smile he then received from Chiaki only made him chuckle "We can do it again anytime you want, Naegi-kun"

He hoped that would truly be the case in the future.

And with a final set of goodbyes and waves, the three Ultimates left the Luckster alone by his house's entrance. Another sigh left his mouth as he felt his tiredness coming back to his body, but he knew that right now it wasn't the time for such a thing.

He looked up at the sun, which told him just how early it still was. Today had truly felt like an eternity to him, and as much he would have liked to call it a day right now, he knew that there was still something that he needed to do.

In a slow movement, he took his cell phone out of his pocket right before he observed the object in his hand with a narrowed gaze.

Not the time to start fearing inanimate objects of all things.

And with quick, practiced movements of his fingers, he brought the cell phone to his ear, with no nervousness appearing in his heart as he waited for the person at the other line to finally pick up.

Because if he was going to confront her, he couldn't just do it by himself.

Information was key, and right now he needed answers.

And if there was someone that he knew could give it to him, then…

"Hello? Ikusaba-san?"

* * *

 **Of course, thanks to** **Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this mess of a chapter.**

 **And with this, the for now called Investigation arc begins.**

 **First of all, I just wanted to say that with the reception that Nagito's chapter received I will most certainly make others alike for the other Ultimates and for other important characters that a lot of you guys seem to want to know more about (aka Natsumi). I can't say when the next one would be, but I can guarantee that it will be someone from DR1 and a girl too. After that, we will have a V3 character and then I will let you guys vote for the ones you want.**

 **As for this chapter, while I felt I might have stayed too long on Makoto's thought process, I felt that it was too important to simply skip it. Right now he's feeling that his two years of hard work and that the faith everyone put into him became for naught. I also always felt like something like the Suicide video would leave scars in anyone that watched it and actually managed to survive it.**

 **A lot of people had been bringing up Junko in the reviews, and the best I can say is that most of your Junko related questions will be answered next chapter, kind off. Said chapter also won't be as long as this one, so with any luck, it will come out sooner.**

 **Also, the lack of names for Makoto's parents really bugged me out with this chapter, so I might have to give them one next time at this rate. Monokuma's first appearance is here too, albeit in a dream. Does that count?**

 **A few readers tried to figure out the motives behind the previous chapter, and while some got it close the proper answer will be shown in exactly 2 chapters.**

 **As always thank you all for having read this far and for your continuous support. For everyone reading, following, favorite and leaving reviews, know that I really appreciate it.**

 **On an unrelated note, anyone else loving the new opening for My Hero Academia? Probably my favorite so far.**

 **Next Chapter: Enoshima Junko, Ultimate Despair?**


	11. The Despair of The Unknown

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama**

 **Chapter 9**

 **The Despair of The Unknown**

"Thank you for the help, Ikusaba-san."

He said that with as much gratefulness as he could muster, knowing that it was the least he could offer to the Ultimate Soldier walking steadily in front of him.

The answer he got from her part though, was nothing but a stiff nod, and while Makoto knew that Ikusaba Mukuro could be a girl of few words, he was also aware that her current quietness was a result of his own actions.

She, after all, had certainly made it clear that she did not approve of what he was about to do.

Not that he could blame her for such a thing considering that, besides himself, she was probably the person that knew just how dangerous Enoshima Junko could be when she actually tried.

No wonder she didn't want him to be alone with the Fashionista, but it was something that he needed to do.

That didn't mean he wasn't a bit apprehensive about facing the blonde girl though, _especially_ considering what said Ultimate could know by now if his suspicion was true.

But he still refused to show anything but readiness in his face. Showing anything else would simply make him a prey to Junko, and he knew that if he started faltering now he might even lose Mukuro's support too.

The Ultimate Soldier could certainly be stubborn when she wanted to.

He looked to his sides while his body followed behind Mukuro, his eyes catching the sigh of some of the fanciest pieces of decoration he had seen in his life. He supposed that was a normal thing with how prestigious this hotel was supposed to be, but even so, he still had to wonder just how much a night here might cost.

He wasn't _that_ surprised when Mukuro had guided him though, because by now he knew for certain that money wasn't an issue for Junko, a fact that honestly unnerved him more than what he would like to admit.

At least, whatever confrontation they were about to have would happen away from Hope's Peak. He didn't really know if that was a good thing or not right now, but it would at least make things private.

Lucky for him Junko had to work today, he supposed.

"We're here," Mukuro announced as soon as she stopped moving, her gaze falling momentarily on the door in front of them before turning around to face the Luckster of her class, who in return simply met the stoic face of the Soldier without doubting.

"Thank you, Ikusaba-san." He said once more just a deep breath left his lips. "I know you didn't approve this…"

"And I still don't." The black-haired girl interrupted him without missing a beat. "Junko-chan has been acting…strange since yesterday, Naegi-kun" The Soldier seemed to struggle to find the right words to describe her younger sister. "I don't feel comfortable leaving the two of you alone right now."

He nodded in understanding, already having heard her explanation as to why she had been with Junko yesterday. The Fashionista apparently just wanted someone to vent, and there was apparently another room in this very same hotel that proved just how destructive Junko could be when she was enraged.

He was only glad that it was only furniture this time and not actual people.

But even so, to hear of such behavior from Junko on the same day he received that message? It couldn't be a coincidence. Mukuro didn't seem to know the reason behind her sister's shift in mood though, and considering the possibilities running through his head it was probably for the best.

He was just glad that Mukuro herself seemed to be fine. Junko trying to hurt her didn't sound like anything new, and while he knew that Mukuro could take care of herself he also knew that the soft spot she had for her sister could make her vulnerable, and it was something that Junko would be more than ready to take advantage off.

"I…can handle her." He said while doing his best to not make his voice waver. Dealing with Junko was something, but a pissed off Junko that possibly knew about the future?

Suicidal was the best word he found to describe such a thing.

"And you said you were sick." Mukuro still continued while narrowing her eyes. "Naegi-kun, _please_. I don't think you should be seeing her like this."

Her concern was touching with not only how genuine it was, but also considering who it came from. The fact that Mukuro had openly chosen his side instead of Junko's always filled him with pride for the girl that had decided to take a path away from Despair.

If it was any other thing he would have probably given in by now, but with how things were at the moment…

"Ikusaba-san." His voice was firm, but a smile still found its way to his lips. "Please, I need to do this. I need you to trust me."

Another intense stare followed his declaration, one with such intensity that it made him remember that this was the girl that could go toe-to-toe with the Ultimate Martial Artist herself. He still refused to back down though, for if he let himself be intimidated by the Soldier in front of him, then how was he supposed to face Junko herself?

His stubbornness seemed to bear fruit once it was Mukuro the one releasing a tired sigh this time, with the girl whispering something under her breath that he wasn't able to catch on before she turned her body once more towards the fancy door that led to the Ultimate Fashionista.

"If you're not done in ten minutes, I'll go in." She said with nothing but seriousness in her voice, and he found himself simply nodding just as he set his gaze on the door. It might sound exaggerated to anyone hearing them considering they were talking about just one high school girl.

But when it came to dealing with Ultimate Despair, there wasn't any such thing as too much precaution.

The sound of Mukuro's fist pounding on the door followed soon after, and the time-traveler barely even had time to take one last deep breath before the door was pried open almost forcefully by the person on the other side of it.

And the first sight that greeted him was that of Junko's face sporting an expression that could only be described as painfully bored.

The blonde aimed a glare at her black-haired sister, one that had certainly put lesser beings on their knees just by being on the receiving end of it, but Mukuro simply matched the stare with a calm one of her own, for her days of simply being intimidated by her little sister were far gone by now.

Not that such a stare match even lasted for very long though, for soon after Junko's focus was then moved to her left.

It didn't take long for brown eyes to meet blue ones.

And with that, the change in her expression was almost immediate, for that bored face she had worn was now completely gone, and it was now replaced by twinkling eyes and a massive, predatory grin that honestly made him feel like a piece of meat in front of some sort of predator.

It didn't help that Junko didn't waste any time before moving her hand to grasp the front of his clothes in a tight grip, with her smile only becoming fiercer by the second.

"You sure took your sweet time getting here, Naegi-kun." She spoke with impatience swirling in her voice just before making the obvious move of trying to drag him inside the room by his clothes.

Key word being trying though, for as soon as her hand had made contact with him, another hand found itself firmly grasping Junko's wrist, stopping the Fashionista in her tracks.

Blue met blue once more as both Junko and Mukuro shared another look, with Junko throwing any semblance of caring and openly frowning in hostility while the older one of the two simply narrowed her eyes in response.

If it wasn't because of how dangerous the two could be, Makoto would describe the scene like a kid upset that her mother was taking away her favorite toy from her.

"What? You still here?" Junko spoke with nothing but annoyance dripping from her tone, with her other free hand making a shoo-away motion almost as if she was dealing with a dog and not a person. "Naegi-kun and I are going to spend some quality time by ourselves, Mukuro-nee, so shoo."

The way the Ultimate Soldier refused to move though, made it abundantly clear to anyone watching that she was not going to follow her sister's orders just like that, but just as her lips parted it ended up being Makoto the one that spoke first.

"It's fine, Ikusaba-san." He reassured her without taking her eyes away from the blonde in front of him, who had gone back to look at him with that grin of hers. "I just need a bit of time with her."

In the end, Mukuro simply relented with a sigh and a nod before releasing Junko's wrist, with the girl in question simply poking her tongue out in a mocking way, although if the black-haired Ultimate was annoyed by it she definitely didn't show it.

Not wanting to give Junko any more feelings of satisfaction, the Luckster was quick to move inside the room by himself, with the last thing he saw from the Ultimate Soldier being the concern gently showing behind her gaze.

Quite the contrast with the mocking expression that Junko sported right before she closed the door with a lot more force than necessary right in her sister's face, leaving Mukuro by herself alone in the hallway, leaving the two most important people in her life all by themselves.

* * *

"You were waiting for me…?" He questioned with caution, having caught on Junko's comment from before. His body stood still right in front of the door, with his brown-eyes refusing to move away from the blonde girl that was now sprawled over the expensive-looking bed at the other side of the room.

"Of course I was!" Junko said nonchalantly just as she sat up on the edge of the bed. "With Mukuro-nee suddenly leaving like that with just a call, it wasn't that hard to guess from who it came from."

The Fashionista then proceeded to pat the spot of the bed right beside her, an open invitation to him if he ever sat one.

Suffice to say, he didn't take such bait and instead he chose to simply stand with his hands hidden inside the pockets of his hoodie.

The pout he got in response from the blonde would have probably looked cute in any other person, but coming from Junko it only made him frown in response

Junko acting childish wasn't anything new, but he could feel some sort of…animosity behind her gaze. It made the already loud alarms that had been ringing in his head become even fiercer.

"I'll give it to you though." Junko continued while resting her chin in both of her hands. "You really managed to tame that useless sister of mine. I can only wonder what kind of rewards you're giving her to have her at your beck and call."

The sultry smile she gave him gave away the kind of things she was implying with her words. It wasn't the first time she hinted at the type of relationship he had with Mukuro though, so by now he was able to control the blush that would normally cover his cheeks.

"We're just friends." He still responded though, still wanting to defend his classmate. "And she wanted something better than what you had shown her."

A scoff left Junko's lips in return, with a flash of annoyance crossing her eyes right before she masked it behind another smile. She moved her arms behind her and had her palms resting on the soft mattress below her, with the blue-eyed girl resting most of her weight in her arms just as she crossed her left leg over her right one.

"So, mind telling me why you decided to pay little old me a visit, Naegi-kun?" She asked with a narrowed gaze, one that told him that she was watching his every move and that nothing was going to escape her, even the tiniest details.

Which, considering how much he knew of Junko's true abilities probably wasn't much of an exaggeration.

With her question though, he found himself thinking of the best way for saying what he wanted to say to the girl. He had practiced it on his mind around a few dozen times already before coming here, but thinking and actually doing it were two completely different things.

What he feared the most was Junko's reaction if he was too direct, but he also knew that anything less would simply end with Junko toying with him. Discovering not only how much she knew, but how she even came to know about such information in the first place was his priority, but knowing what Junko planned to do from now own was also something he needed to learn.

He refused to leave with his hands empty, but with Junko's erratic actions it was hard to grasp how she would exactly react.

He took another breath before opening his lips, deciding that it had to be him the one to control the flow of the conversation. Asking her about the message came first, and from there he trusted in how Junko liked to brag to get anything that he needed.

And he would have asked her right away…

"Is this about a weird message you got yesterday?"

If she hadn't asked first, that is…

He blinked in honest confusion as soon as those words left Junko; his mind trying to understand just what kind of angle the girl was trying to play here. Her words pretty much confirmed the suspicion that has been growing in his heart every since yesterday.

If Junko knew about the message then, didn't that mean that she was the one that sent it?

He tightened his hands inside his pocket, still doing his better to keep himself as calm as he could be. The fact that it was Junko herself the one that brought it up made him question just how much of this she had planned beforehand.

Her excuse of knowing that he was coming because of Mukuro sounded shallower by the second.

"You know about that…?" But if she wanted to play it vague then he had to act accordingly. He had learned enough from watching Kyoko catch on people by using nothing but their own words. He knew that Junko liked to toy with her preys after all.

Their gazes were focused on no one but the other, and for reasons Makoto couldn't fathom at the moment Junko seemed to be pondering on what to say in that situation. A silent Junko was after all, contrary to belief, the most dangerous type of Junko.

If she was silent it meant that she was thinking of stuff that was most likely wrong in some way, shape or form.

The strawberry-blonde Ultimate then hummed slightly before taking out something from the pocket of the coat she was currently wearing. It didn't take long for him to recognize the object that she was now holding in her hand as her cell phone, something that simply made him frown even more.

And then she finally spoke while dangling said cell phone in her fingers.

"I figured as much. I got a weird one yesterday with your name on it so it wasn't that hard to guess."

And with just one sentence, Enoshima Junko had managed to put his mind into complete disarray.

'…what?' It actually took him a few seconds to properly understand just what the Fashionista was implying with that comment, but once he did it almost made him give one step backward out of sheer surprise.

But he quickly shook his head before glaring at the girl who kept looking at him with no expression showing on her face. Even her eyes told him nothing, and as someone that prided himself on being able to understand Enoshima Junko, this was unsettling, to say the least.

"You mean you didn't send it?" But couldn't she just be lying? Junko was a master of trickery after all, so it wasn't like it would be impossible in the first place…

But for Junko to just lie, wasn't that just as weird? Even during her sick game she still didn't outright lie through Monokuma. Heck, most of the time she even told them the truth knowing that the truth itself would be more painful than anything she could manage to come up to.

And here she was no different, so why suddenly spill a lie when just telling him that she knew his secret would be one of the worst things he could possibly hear?

It made no sense.

"Would you like to see it?" The girl asked, and then without even waiting for a response, she threw the pink device straight at him. He was barely able to grasp it in his hands, but once he did so he found that the object of his confusion was already showing on the screen.

"What…is this…?" He whispered shakily under his breath just as his eyes swept through the message on the girl's phone. It was the exact same number than the one that sent it to him, he would know considering that he has memorized the damn thing, but even ignoring that and just looking at the text itself…

 _From Ultimate Despair to Enoshima Junko, the Ultimate Analyst._

 _Naegi Makoto is mine. Show him this and you will understand._

It just didn't make any _sense_.

Was this just an elaborate plan of Junko herself? But why did something feel so off then? Either Junko had now decided to truly mess with his head, or…

He had been so focused on Junko that he hadn't considered any other possibilities…

But for someone else to refer themselves as Ultimate Despair and to send such messages that implied having information that no one should have in the first place was nothing short of bewildering.

But if he were to believe that then, putting Junko aside for the time being, just who could it be? The combination of information, the referring as oneself as Despair, it just didn't make sense with everything he knew.

His mind was in turmoil to the point that he ended up biting his lip just out of sheer frustration. With his body shaking he couldn't avoid but praising Junko in his head, for if this was just a sick idea of hers it was definitely working.

The answer to that though, came in the form of the girl herself suddenly hugging his neck, his previous attention to the phone in his hand making him unable to notice the moment that Junko had decided to approach him.

He raised his head immediately, with shocked brown meeting cold blue just as he realized how close they were with one another. Their noses were almost touching and the only thing in his sight was the face of someone that, if it wasn't because of the things she was capable of doing, he would consider breathtakingly beautiful.

With not a thing in between them, nothing stopped the girl from almost melding their bodies together, with her chest firmly making contact with his body that would probably have him as the target of half of the world's jealousy.

But even that soft sensation simply went over his head, for his focus right now was in a completely different place.

It was in those pools of crystal blue that were Junko's eyes, because even after years of having dealt with Junko here, and even after the literal hell that the girl had put him in the future…

"Tell me their name, Naegi-kun."

This was the first time he ever saw such an expression in the Ultimate Fashionista's eyes.

It even made the hair on the back of his neck stand up with just how…wrong it was. He had seen Junko angry, happy, excited, disappointed, annoyed and all the range of emotions that such an unpredictable girl could make, especially considering the number of _personalities_ she liked to use whenever things got bored.

But this was no act.

This was not Junko just playing around

No, for the sheer amount of cold _hatred_ that was coming out from this blue eyes could be nothing short of genuine.

And that fact by itself honestly _scared_ him.

Was this what Mukuro had meant before? Because if it was then, he had seriously underestimated what the Ultimate Soldier considered strange.

It was only after feeling Junko's nails sticking to the back of his neck that he realized the blonde in question was truly expecting some sort of answer from him.

"I…I thought it was you…" But with his mind in such disarray, he could barely even mumble a short response.

And one second later he figured it out that such an answer was not going to be enough for Junko.

How? Well, he supposed being thrown with enough force for his body to land in the middle of the bed served as a good enough sign of that.

He gasped in surprise as soon as his body hit the soft surface of the bed in the room, and with his eyes wide in shock his first reaction was to raise his body and leave the bed immediately.

But just like Junko had just proven that she was stronger than him, now she showed him how much faster she was, because even before he was able to move his body she was already upon him.

"Guh!" A grunt left his lips as soon as Junko's body collided with his own. It was done in such an abrupt matter that it actually left his lower body aching, but with how things were moving forwards he knew he had more pressing matters than just a bit of pain.

For right now he had Enoshima Junko, the Ultimate Fashionista, pretty much straddling him, with the lower part of their bodied glued to one another to the point that it left little to the imagination.

The girl rested her weight on him while also putting her left hand on his chest to make sure he was unable to move. His focus was once more on her gaze, for those orbs still showed the same look that almost had him shivering.

"That's no good, Naegi-kun," Junko whispered just before she leaned on the Luckster, lowering her body until she was completely on top of him, with her face so close to his that he could feel her hot breath on the side of his face.

He still refused to break eye contact with the blonde however, having the feeling that doing such a thing would be nothing short of a mistake.

Her other free hand followed along and crept up slowly, with her fingers ending up resting on the side of his neck. He moved his right hand almost immediately to clasp her wrist almost on instinct.

"You can't cheat on me, Naegi-kun. That's just no good at all…" The words themselves made little to no sense in his mind, but once more he had no room to say anything on the matter.

He was too busy watching firsthand the change in Enoshima Junko.

For those eyes of hers stopped being pools of clear blue by now, and instead had become nothing but swirls of madness and chaos. Black holes made out of lust for torment to not only the world around her, but even to herself.

For that was the face of Ultimate Despair.

Because, even unknown to Makoto himself, Enoshima Junko could actually tolerate a lot of things.

She could handle her sister pretty much betraying her, for the despair that she had felt with such an outcome honestly made it all the more worth it.

She had accepted someone like Naegi Makoto in her life to the point that she now couldn't imagine it without him, for he made her boring days into something worth living. As long as Naegi Makoto smiled, she would always be there to make him feel the Despair that she longed to see in his eyes.

If said Luckster wanted to fool around with every other girl in that stupid school she didn't care either. It was a matter of time before she had him by her side anyway.

She could even tolerate someone else calling themselves Ultimate Despair. As long as Despair was spread to the world she didn't particularly care for who had that title by now.

But for all things that she could accept, there was one undeniable fact that no one, _no one_ could mess around with.

And that was one simple law.

Naegi Makoto was hers.

He was hers, hers _hers hers_ _ **hers hers HERS**_!

And the only one with any fucking right to make him feel even a glimpse of despair was her and her alone.

She did not spend two years trying to figure him out, trying to understand him so that she could convert that hopeful fool into Despair just to have some shit behind a phone telling her that she never had a chance in the first place.

That message she had received had made her more than a little angry, but after following along and showing the message to her Luckster…

It all came crashing down around her, for that face that he had worn as soon as he had read that message had been the closest she had ever seen to actual Despair on that face of his.

And she hadn't been the cause of it…

It honestly took all of her willpower to not outright strangle the Luckster below her. That wouldn't do, after all, but someone was going to pay in the end for touching what was hers.

"Tell me who sent it." She pretty much ordered, her whisper cold against his cheek, but the only thing she received in response was a glare and a set of greeted teeth.

"If I knew…I wouldn't have come here in the first place." He hissed back while deciding to focus on finding a way to get out of this situation instead of the soft body pressed against him.

The fact that it was Junko also helped in that regard.

Her deranged gaze narrowed at such a response, although she could tell it was the truth. It didn't matter however, for sooner or later she would find out who dared to try and claim what was hers.

But as for the Luckster in her grasp…

Maybe she needed to remind him just who the Despair in his life was supposed to be.

And it was with that mentality that Junko moved too quickly for Makoto to react, the result being that of Junko's lips crashing firmly against Makoto's with such a force it almost made him think she was attacking him.

The action itself was so sudden that it made Makoto gasp without even realizing it, while also earning a wide-eyed look. Junko wasn't one to miss a chance however, and without wasting time she gladly accepted what she considered an invitation to deepen their lip-lock.

The feeling of her tongue invading his mouth and wrapping around his own alongside that of the girl grinding her body against him quickly proved that it wasn't a conventional attack.

The blonde even refused to close her eyes, almost as if not wanting to miss the moment in which he gave in to the pleasure she was offering him. The fact that he could feel her free hand slowly moving down from his chest told him that, as far as she was concerned, this was just a warm-up.

But luckily, or unluckily depending on which side of the lip lock you found yourself at, the kiss ended just as abruptly as it had started right after Junko was forcefully pulled away from the Luckster below her.

"W-what?! Mukuro-nee?!" Junko spoke, obviously more than a little upset by the Ultimate Soldier holding her by her coat. The saliva going down the corner of her lips killed a bit of the threatening effect, however.

Not that such a thing stopped Junko from trying to backhand the Ultimate Soldier, who easily caught the incoming hand before twisting behind her little sister's back.

"Che, you're no fun, Mukuro-nee." The Fashionista whined before giving Mukuro a mocking look from over her shoulder. "This is hardly the worst Naegi-kun and I have done by ourselves."

Junko knew where to strike after all, and with someone like Mukuro, it always came back to her Luckster.

And speaking of said Luckster…

Makoto sat breathlessly on the bed while doing his best to clean his lips with his sleeve. A rude gesture he knew, but one that he found necessary considering who had just pretty much assaulted his mouth.

A perturbed look crossed his eyes right before he gave a glare to the still struggling blonde, who as soon as she noticed that returned the gesture with a wink of her own.

He wouldn't give her the satisfaction, however, of getting any other kind of reaction from him. He knew how Junko was in that regard, after all, and while he was feeling angrier by the second he was also aware that leaving him like this was her objective from the start.

He didn't know if the fact that by now he had grown a bit used to _those_ kinds of attacks from the Fashionista was a good thing or not.

It probably wasn't, all things considered. At least this time it had ended before turning into something worse.

Some would say he was lucky, he knew that much, but for all things he had considered before traveling to the past he never thought that Junko forcing herself on him would have to be one of his concerns, and with this one the number of times the Fashionista had assaulted his mouth simply kept increasing.

He gave a thankful nod to Mukuro, who kept Junko on her grasp. Imagining what would have happened if the Soldier hadn't appeared was enough to make him shiver. He would have probably come out of it alive but he didn't want to know just how far Junko was planning to go with that.

He stood up on shaky legs from the bed, with deep breaths leaving his mouth just as Junko tried her best to escape Mukuro's grasp to no avail.

"Thank you, Ikusaba-san." He whispered his gratitude before walking towards the door with his head hung low. He needed to get out of here, he needed to think, to figure out something, for the only thing that he had learned here went against everything he had assumed.

But even so, he turned around just as he reached the door in one last attempt, with his gaze quickly meeting Junko, who went from attempting to bite her sister to look at him with a provocative smile.

"Enoshima-san." He spoke with a glare, knowing that what he was about to do was probably a mistake but also needed to see it with his own eyes. "Future Foundation…do you know anything about it?"

Playing with fire was an understatement considering what he was doing, but the growing desperation in his heart didn't let him just leave without one last confirmation.

"Huh? I don't know what that is but they sound lame." And the response he got from an obviously confused Junko only made him release a shaky breath. Of course, he could still simply assume that it was all an act from Junko, but…

If it was that simple then he wouldn't be feeling so conflicted right now, would he?

He gave a small bow of gratitude to the Ultimate Soldier before almost bolting out of the room, finding the need for some fresh air almost suffocating.

He definitely had gotten an answer today, just not the one that he had expected.

If that was a good thing or not though, well…

Only time could tell, right?

* * *

Everything felt like a blur after that, with his legs carrying him as far away from Junko and that room to the point that he almost thought he had gotten lost.

He only stopped moving once he found himself sitting on a bench at some park whose location he wasn't even sure of. His breathing came in short bursts just while he kept his eyes closed and his head hanging low.

He pinched the bridge of his nose in a vain attempt to stop an oncoming headache; by now not knowing if said pain would be a result of his tiredness or his frustration.

Probably a combination of both, he concluded.

To say that the whole meeting with Junko hadn't gone as he had planned would be the understatement of the century.

At least he had gotten his answer he supposed, albeit one that probably brought along a whole new different set of problems.

On the good side, Junko knew nothing of the future apparently, if her actions today were to be believed at least.

On the other hand, he now apparently had an unknown person calling themselves Ultimate Despair with knowledge of the future and with enough confidence to not only come at him but also at Junko herself.

Had he been so focused in Junko that he had missed another threat just like that? But as far as he knew the only ones that could be considered Despair were both Junko and Mukuro, and right now that only left Junko.

Mukuro had escaped her claws a year ago, and he had stopped both the creation of Kamukura Izuru and that of the Despair and Suicide Videos. He also had stopped any source of involvement Junko could have had with the Elementary Division.

So then _how_? How could such a thing have happened…? The fact that Junko herself seemingly had no idea as to who it was somehow made things even worse.

Better the known evil than the one yet to know; only now he finally understood that phrase. He didn't even remember when he had read it but it certainly fit on his current issue.

What would his next move be then? He was without a clue, because his greatest weapon was almost rendered useless by the appearance of an unknown factor.

He almost felt like grabbing his hair in nothing but sheer frustration, and without even realizing he had been biting his lip with such force that it almost drew blood.

At that point, he even felt like yelling.

And he might have done it...

"Gah!?"

If a sudden cold and wet object hadn't been pressed firmly against his cheek, forcing him out of his thoughts out of sheer surprise and making him pretty much jump from his seat.

The next thing he heard was the sound of an obviously amused chuckle, which got him to quickly turn around, his eyes landing on the one responsible for making him jump like a frightened cat.

"Amami-kun?" He spoke with nothing but bewilderment in his tone, his gaze centered on the obviously amused Ultimate Adventurer of class 79.

"Sorry for that, Naegi-senpai." The green-haired younger Ultimate spoke in a friendly tone before moving to sit on the bench right beside him. "I couldn't help it after seeing you like that."

"Here." The green-haired teen was then quick to offer him the can in his left hand, while also showing Makoto that he had another one on his other hand. "You seem like you need it."

"Thank you…" Not having any real reason to refuse, the Luckster was quick to accept the token of goodwill. Maybe the cold liquid would help with the storm that was his mind at the moment, he supposed.

"I'll admit I didn't think I would see you around here, Naegi-senpai." Against his silence, Rantaro was quick to speak with nothing but a friendly smile on his face. "I thought you were too sick to go out today."

"T-that's… well…" He mumbled, now also trying to come up with a good enough excuse for the younger Ultimate. Another chuckle however, alongside a wave from Rantaro stopped him in his tracks.

"Don't worry; I know how hectic things can get at school." He said before taking a sip of his own drink. "Can't blame you for wanting a bit of peace once in a while." He then even brought one of his fingers to his lips. "I promise I won't tell a soul."

He nodded in acceptance, knowing that Rantaro was getting the wrong idea but honestly being too tired to correct him at the moment. On the back of his head he also wondered what the younger Ultimate was doing around here, but by now he also knew how plenty of Hope's Peak students liked to go around the city from time to time.

Hope's Peak offered a lot of things to its students, but a school was a school he guessed.

"You looked quite deep in thought before I got here though." Rantaro continued easily after chugging the remaining of his drink. "Headmaster-san has you busy as always, I presume."

"What makes you say that?" Not wanting to seem rude, the Luckster asked in confusion. Was his relationship with the older Kirigiri really that obvious to everyone at the school?

"Well, hard not to when you have Oma-kun as your classmate." The Ultimate Adventurer spoke with a wry smile on his lips. "He has this weird theory about Headmaster-san sending you to super secret missions for the sake of the country."

"That…sounds like something he would say." Just that image was actually able to make him chuckle slightly, an action that was quickly followed by the green-eyed teen to his side. He then finally decided to take a small sip of his drink just as Rantaro stated shaking his head.

"He even had this idea about you having time-traveling abilities and that you used them to be able to do everything you do in time!"

And not even a second after hearing that comment he found himself coughing up a lung as if his life depended on it with Rantaro softly patting his back with a concerned expression plastered on his face.

"S-sorry." The brown-haired teen said between coughs while doing his best at calming himself down. "I just, well… I guess things did get a bit hectic lately."

Once again, understatement of the century, he thought.

"Hmmm" Rantaro hummed understandingly in response alongside a few nods of acceptance. "I suppose things didn't go like you planned them?"

"Huh?" Was the Ultimate Adventurer always that perceptive? Or was it really written on his face that much? "Something like that… is it that obvious?"

"I've had that same expression during my travels too, so it's easy to pick it up." He explained while moving a hand through his hair while a nostalgic smile formed itself on his face. "You tend to get used to the unexpected after a while…sometimes you even enjoy it!"

"You do?" Maybe it was just him, but the last time he got happy by unexpected happenings was when his life was on the line, so it wasn't like the alternative was better in the first place.

"Of course!" Rantaro shot back as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "A journey without any bumps is quite boring, don't you think? Then again, you don't seem to be enjoying it that much right now."

He wasn't, that was for sure, and considering what he was already planning on doing he didn't know if tomorrow was going to be any better in that regard.

"Think of it like this then, Naegi-senpai." The Ultimate Adventurer continued just as he stood up while playfully throwing the empty can in his grip from one hand to the other. "When thing get harder, that just makes the reward at the end even more special, don't you think?

…huh.

He blinked once at the smiling teen standing in front of him once, then twice more before shaking his head slowly, thinking of how it felt being at this side of the pep-talk.

"You can be quite optimistic sometimes, Amami-kun."

"You think so?" The Ultimate in question simply asked in wonder before a sad smile appeared on his face. "I guess it comes with not wanting to give up on some things even after so long…"

Makoto nodded regretfully at those words, truly understanding what the younger Ultimate meant and also feeling guilty for bringing up such painful memories to the teen's head.

He knew, after all, the kind of regret that one Amami Rantaro had learned to live with.

"Thank you, Amami-kun." He expressed his gratitude with nothing but honesty. "I think I really needed to hear something like that right now."

"It's nothing, senpai." The smile on Rantaro's face became wider just as he set one of his hands on the Luckster's shoulder. "I can't have my traveling companion be feeling under the weather, after all."

He could only chuckle awkwardly at that, remembering one of the things he had promised to the younger Ultimate after school started…

Maybe Mahiru was right and he was throwing those promises out _way_ too lightly.

* * *

"Were you saying the truth, Junko-chan?" The Ultimate Soldier asked in a stoic tone, with her sharp gaze watching carefully the obviously bored form of her little sister, who sat by the bed while pretending to be checking on her fingernails.

"Eh? You were eavesdropping us, Mukuro-nee? That's a really disgusting habit to have, you know? I bet Naegi-kun would hate you if he found out!" Junko for her part answered in an obviously over-dramatic fashion, but she then simply rolled her eyes once the only reaction she got was a pair of narrowed eyes.

"Of course I was!" The Fashionista snarled while standing up, obviously more than a little upset. The fact that her sister had stopped her from relieving her stress with her Luckster didn't help either. "Now I have to find whatever little shit is trying to get _my dear_ Naegi-kun."

With those words she moved to grab her phone, which had been resting on the floor every since her Luckster had dropped it as a result of their little intimidate quality time.

"And that's where you come in, oh useless and hideous sister of mine!" Her fingers tapped on her phone quickly while she gave the Ultimate Soldier a small glance from the corner of her eyes.

It was only then that the Fashionista bothered to notice the increased amount of frost behind the already cold gaze of the black-haired Ultimate, something that actually made her grin in a way that could only be described as impish.

"What? You got any problem there, Mukuro-nee?" With those words of provocation she also made a show of bringing her fingers to her lips right before touching them softly "Or you're just jealous? Don't worry, next time I'll let you watch as we have some _fun_."

"And what makes you think I would help you?" The Soldier decided to ignore that comment however, and simply threw a question of her own. The last time she had followed any explicit orders from Junko had been well over a year after all, but her attempt at acting tough simply got a scoff from the Fashionista.

"As if you didn't want to find whoever is messing dear Naegi-kun as much as I do." She shot back while moving towards the bed once more. "If you're going to act like a slave in heat every time you're around him then you might at least act like a useful one."

Junko then threw herself on the bed, not even bothering to wait for her sister's response. She knew what she was going to say after all, so it wasn't like she really cared anyway.

The only thing that mattered now was finding the responsible one of that stupid message and make them regret ever even thinking that they could bring Despair to Naegi Makoto's heart.

And as her phone finally showed her what she wanted she honestly couldn't help but to grin at that moment.

She had been saying the truth, after all, but that didn't mean she didn't keep a few things for herself. A girl had to have her aces up her sleeves, after all.

She had shown Makoto the message, yes, but she hadn't told him about the picture that came attached to it.

And as her eyes focused on that very same image, she couldn't help but give credit to the sender.

She was definitely going to make their death as painful as possible…

But at least they had a good taste in teddy-bears.

* * *

 **I suppose this answers any doubts about Junko being the sender of the message. This was always the plan from the start though, to have this be a three-way conflict between Makoto, Junko and the Ultimate Despair, and for this, I decided to go with this angle when it came to Junko.**

 **With Junko out, best I can say is that Ultimate Despair is not an OC.**

 **I also decided to go with Ultimate Adventurer with Rantaro rather than Ultimate Survivor since the former fit better considering how those titles worked for Rantaro.**

 **With the next chapters, thing will go back to Hope's Peak itself, and that means introducing the rest of the Ultimates, or at least as many of them as I can without making it repetitive.**

 **And of course, thank you all once more for having read thus far, and for your ongoing support with your favs, follows and of course reviews. With this chapter the story now has over 100k words, so thank you for having read that much of what I write!**

 **Also I wish I could answe Guests review because damn the last one this story got really had me laughing.**

 **Next Chapter: Who can you trust?**


	12. Who Can You Trust?

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama**

 **Chapter 10**

 **Who Can You Trust?**

He wasn't able to sleep properly that night.

No nightmares plagued his mind, something that he could only be thankful about, but even so, his body still felt barely rested. If you could even consider 'looking at the ceiling of his room with a million different ideas on his head until he couldn't stay conscious' a form of resting.

Sleeping late and waking up earlier than usual, sounded like the perfect combination.

Not wanting to just toss and turn on his bed until the rest of his family woke up had been one of the reasons for his current situation, the others being his increasing anxiety and how he just didn't want to worry his family even more.

In retrospect, maybe leaving the house so early and just leaving a note behind wasn't exactly the best way to accomplish the latter, but something told him that his parents were extremely close to giving him a talk that he didn't know he would be able to handle right now.

He needed some answers, but the only thing his mind drew were blanks.

No, that wasn't quite right, for he had already concluded what he had to do. He was simply scared of the answers he would get if he went to do that.

And yet here he was, inside Hope's Peak Academy, a lot earlier than usual to the point that the sun was barely visible on the horizon, with deep breaths leaving him each second that passed.

On the back of his head, he had to remark the fact that he saw no one on his walk here, besides the security members guarding the entrance of the school that is. He supposed it was because of how early it was, although another part of him made him feel a bit worried about that fact.

Walking through the halls of such a quiet Hope's Peak made him more nervous than what he would like to admit. He knew that there were more than a few of his friends that were early risers, and he had honestly expected to even run into at least one of them on his way here.

No such thing happened though, which was probably for the best considering that he would have been most likely forced to lie if anyone saw him.

He really had to give credit to those that just lie with a straight face, for every time he did it the guilt slowly ate away at him, not that he didn't understand the necessity of keeping a lot of the things he knew under wraps.

Which, considering everything that was happening around him, was actually one of his reasons that he now stood in front of this door.

For not only there was an unknown individual out there that knew his biggest secret…

But on the other side of this door was also the only person that he had ever revealed anything about the future to.

And while putting two and two together sounded easy enough, his blood simply went cold at what those two simple facts implied.

For even after hours of thinking while taking out Junko out of the equation, something that was honestly hard to do by now, his mind always came to the same conclusion…

And with one last breath leaving his lips he knocked on the door with as much firmness as he could muster, deciding to ignore the slight trembling in his fist.

For right now the emotion that filled his being was one he had grown used to accept every time it had been his turn to identify the killer among his friends.

Wanting to be wrong even though everything pointed to a conclusion…

He could only hope that this time it would end with no blood being shed.

* * *

Brown eyes met purple ones for what felt close to an eternity to him.

No sounds were made in the rather spacious office; to the point that one would think someone had muted the sound altogether.

The man's imposing gaze felt like a hawk looking down at rabbit, with no emotion betraying that cold gaze of the man, a sight that he had grown used by now after his dealings with those that shared the Kirigiri name.

It didn't make it any less intimidating, however, but he steeled himself to simply stare back in kind towards the man. Maybe before he would be more relaxed in the man's presence, but right now he simply didn't know what to believe.

The man's eyes lingered on his own for a few more seconds before moving back to the device in his hand, his own cell phone to be more precise, for the message that rested on that device would probably do a better job exposing the matters at hand than anything that he could come up with.

He refused to tear his eyes from the older Kirigiri, trying to see if he would find anything in the stoic mask the man rarely wore. Unlike his daughter, Kirigiri Jin had no issue with acting jovial to those around him, but that didn't mean he wasn't able to put on a face that looked sculptured in stone with how little emotion it displayed.

That, alongside the man's keen intellect and position of authority, certainly made Kirigiri Jin a powerful ally to have…

And in the same way, a scary enemy to face.

With the way he saw the man's eyes move it was more than obvious that he was simply re-reading the text in his hand. He knew better than to jump to conclusions right now however, for it certainly hadn't worked last time, so he simply stood in silence, waiting patiently for the man to do something.

And he did, for after almost a full minute of nothing but sweeping his eyes across the screen of the device, the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy left what could only be described as a defeated sigh before leaning back on his chair, the phone now resting on the middle of his desk.

"Well then…" The purple-haired man spoke slowly, with a hand going through his hair right before he set his gaze on the time-traveler across his room once more. "I suppose the first thing I should say is that it wasn't me who sent you that."

The words came out with as much honesty as Makoto had ever heard from the older Kirigiri, and he knew that at one point he would have believed that easily as a matter of fact, for right now there wasn't even a glint of Despair in those purple eyes of the Headmaster.

However, if knowing who was a part of Ultimate Despair had been such a simple task then, Future Foundation would not have been destroyed from the inside.

Looks could be deceiving, that much he knew by now.

"But I can see you're not convinced." Jin continued just as he massaged his forehead.

"You're the only one I told anything about _that_ ," Makoto answered swiftly. The accusation was obvious to anyone that heard, and the fact that Jin then decided to stand up from his seat after that only made the Luckster tense up even more.

"And yet…" Jin's voice came out softly just as he moved from behind his desk. "I'm aware that I wasn't your first option, or else you would have come to me yesterday."

The ahoge-haired boy narrowed his eyes in response, his body language easily telling the Headmaster that he had, as some of his students would say, nailed it.

"I know you haven't been completely honest with me." Jin continued without missing a beat. "But I can assure you, Makoto-kun, that if I wanted to turn on you I would have done my damn best to make sure you never figured out instead of openly challenging you like this."

"Whoever sent this…" Makoto decided to let the man continue his small rant while still trying to gauge how wary he had to be in Jin's presence. "Did it with enough confidence about keeping their identity as a secret. Information is power and right now we don't have that."

"It could be part of a plan, though." Finally, the Luckster spoke with as must seriousness as he could muster. "Sending me something like that knowing I would suspect you, making it so obvious to the point that I wouldn't believe it."

They stood in silence once more, with the air around the two so heavy to the point that cold sweat moved slowly down Makoto's forehead, while Jin for his part simply looked as calm as always until the corner of his lips twitched upwards in what he could only describe as a tired smile.

"You sound a lot like Kyoko sometimes…" The Headmaster whispered barely enough so that Makoto would hear.

"The best I can say, Makoto-kun, is that it truly wasn't me." The man repeated with his arms extended, almost as if to show that he was hiding nothing. "The only thing I want is what's best for Hope's Peak Academy and its students."

The man's voice was dripping with nothing but conviction and his purple eyes shined with a determination that the Luckster was simply unable to ignore. A breath that he didn't even know he was holding came out of Makoto's lips while his right hand moved to scratch the back of his head.

"I…believe you, Kirigiri-san." He answered back with a nod, his body relaxing a bit. A part of him knew that he shouldn't just be accepting this so easily, but the Headmaster had been right. Sending something like this was simply asking for him to be suspicious of the man, so if the man truly became a member of Ultimate Despair then, wouldn't just hiding it be better?

He knew that Despair changed people, but this was a behavior he would expect from Junko who loved to toy with people, not from someone like Jin.

And even ignoring what he had just seen from the man, there was also the fact that this person was one of the few members of Hope's Peak staff than in his time not only didn't succumb to Despair, but that had also done his best to help him and his class.

He could only imagine how things would have ended if Jin's plan had worked and him, alongside the rest of class 78, had ended up living safely inside the walls of the school's old building. A desperate move during desperate times true, but one that the man had done with nothing but the intention of protecting the hope of the future.

Even at the cost of his own life…

Could truly a person like that become a member of Ultimate Despair? Especially in a time when the Despair video had never been created?

Naivety was something that he knew he had, but even so, was it so bad to want to believe that the man in front of him was still his ally?

"Thank you…" The man spoke with another smile appearing on his lips, with the tense air surrounding the two lessening even if it was just by a small margin.

But then again…

"You are still the only one I have told the truth about me." He said not in accusation but simply stating a fact. "Are you sure there weren't any…leaks?" He did his best to find the correct way to address his concerns, for while he knew that the older Kirigiri was capable of keeping a secret, it didn't change the fact that whoever this Ultimate Despair was had to get their information from _somewhere_.

"Everything you told me about your…predicament." The man answered as he moved back to his desk, one that was filled to the brims with pieces of papers, while also sporting a small laptop on the right side of it, which Jin was quick to touch slightly once he got closer. "I made sure to never leave any traces of it anywhere."

"So if someone got any information from me…" Jin continued while pulling on his tie slightly. "Then I apologize, but defending against mind readers is not my forte."

Jin's attempt at humor fell as flat as he had expected, although no one could blame him for trying.

His words though, simply got a reluctant nod from the Luckster. It wasn't that he thought the Headmaster was lying, for he knew that Jin understood how sensitive the information was. The problem was that there were only two ways of knowing about the future, and he was damn sure he hadn't let any of his information leave him outside of the man in front of him.

"And what about you?" Jin himself seemed to have his doubts, to which Makoto could only frown in response.

"I haven't told anyone besides you." He answered easily, but Jin simply shook his head in response to his words.

"I'm aware of that…" A narrowed gaze appeared in Jin's face, one that had him frowning even more. "And I know you already told me this, but I must ask you again, Makoto-kun…Are you sure no one else came back?"

"No!" His own answer came out almost immediately, for it wasn't the first time he had heard that same question. "Only one person could operate that machine… And he told me he would destroy it after I used it just to make sure no one could abuse it!"

"And this person, can you really trust him? Someone that can build time-machines of all things at will, excuse me if I am a bit skeptic."

"He… is the reason the future even got a chance to recover!" While he understood Jin's doubt it wouldn't stop him from defending the man that not only had given him a second chance, but that has also saved the future from becoming a brainwashed hell.

His fierce eyes and the sudden rise of voice, however, only got a raised eyebrow from Jin, something that made him look down slightly in regret.

"And why didn't this…individual use the machine himself then?" Makoto wasn't a particular fan of this topic, but he understood having to explain a few more things to the man in charge of the school if he wanted for them to be able to work together right now.

"He… had things that he needed to do." He confessed, with a small flash of sorrow appearing in his gaze. "I… was the only one that he trusted with this. It was either me or no one else, those were his conditions…"

That was the truth, even if he was omitting the only other request the older man had given him after he had accepted to go along with this…

 _Naegi-kun…Please save her._

He shook his head, knowing that remembering the sorrow in that voice would do little to help him now.

The pride that he had felt at being able to fulfill that wish had turned into dread just yesterday, after all.

"I see… Was he also the one that told you to hide what you knew from everyone?" To say Jin was interested in the apocalyptic future that the young Luckster had described to two years ago would be an understatement.

If Makoto was now willing to share some more though, he wasn't going to simply miss this chance. He had only believed in the Luckster's claim because of the information he had revealed a long time ago, after all, but after that day Naegi Makoto had done his best to keep him at bay, at least information wise.

"N-no…" The awkward answer the Luckster gave him though, was not the one Jin had expected. "It was… your daughter, actually…"

And to Makoto's frown, Jin could only blink twice before moving a hand through his face. He already knew that his daughter was still alive in that future, and the look in Makoto's face every time he managed to bring Kyoko as a subject had easily told him that there had been some sort of relationship between the two.

"That…does sound like something she would say." Jin murmured slowly before softly shaking his head, knowing that getting affected by such words was not what he needed right now.

"I'll have to ask you then since you know this Ultimate Despair better than me." The older Kirigiri then proceeded to give the Luckster his phone back, with those purple eyes of his watching the time-traveler intently. "With what you know right now, who do you think they could be?"

That was the important question, now wasn't it?

And while the answer itself was obvious enough in his head, actually voicing it out became harder than what he could have imagined.

"It… has to be someone from the school." His voice wavered as he spoke, with his gaze breaking from Jin's and moving to look at the floor. "A member of the staff…or a student."

He hated saying such a thing, he truly did, but what else could he say? To start thinking that Ultimate Despair wasn't related to the school in some way would be nothing but denying the obvious.

And by the nod he received from Jin it was obvious that he too believed the same.

"This can't be a coincidence. Whoever sent you that is most likely also the one that moved past the school security before…"

"You mean, the stolen things from the Research Labs?" To his question Jin simply nodded once more, leaving the ahoge-haired boy even more deep in thought. In his state of mind he had completely forgotten about that, but right now he couldn't deny that it sounded too weird to just be a coincidence.

But believing that the two were connected only sent a shiver down his spine.

Ultimate Programmer, Fujisaki Chihiro.

Ultimate Mechanic, Soda Kazuichi.

Ultimate Inventor, Iruma Miu.

Those were the three students whose materials had disappeared.

And he could only imagine what someone that called themselves Despair could do with those kinds of tools and technology.

But what good was taking that kind of stuff if they weren't able to use them properly? He had seen the kind of things Chihiro, Soda, and Miu could do with such technology but imagining anyone else being able to do something even remotely similar was too hard to believe.

They were Ultimates in their fields, after all.

"It seems I will have to increase the search then."The Headmaster murmured while already thinking of ways of accelerating the search for the culprit. His original idea might be too slow for it, after all, and now he might even have to call back certain Luckster just to have another chat with the teen.

He knew he was being biased, but was it so bad to want to make sure a student wasn't making any bombs inside your school?

...again.

But to Jin's words Makoto showed nothing but a sudden alertness in his gaze.

"W-wait, Kirigiri-san!" Makoto's fist tightened to his side, with fear starting to show in those brown eyes of his. "I understand that we need to do something, but if we do anything drastic it might just make everything worse!"

Being on the receiving end of Jin's look of confusion only made the Luckster take a big breath before releasing it.

"In my time, Ultimate Despair used the Izuru Kamukura Project and the treatment of the Reserve Course to plunge the school in chaos." He explained with regret, feeling the necessity to say it even though Jin was already aware of this. "If we do something that could put the school on edge then we're just handing them the school on a silver platter!"

"…Aren't you overestimating this Ultimate Despair?"

"I'm not." His words came with a tone of finality, for even if the one responsible wasn't Junko, it didn't change the fact that anyone who carried that title was a dangerous presence.

"We need to be subtle then…" Jin whispered, truly wondering the amount of damage that one person could apparently do. He had heard of it already of course, but hearing about it and actually experiencing were two separate things.

Naegi Makoto was obviously a scarred young man, and while the Headmaster was more than sure that fear was a key aspect as to why Makoto did the things he did, he also wasn't just going to act as if said fear was uncalled for.

Besides, with the Steering Committee trying to find any way to make him disappear, it would probably be best if he didn't do anything openly that they could use to get him away from the school.

"I'll do my best too…This is my responsibility, after all."

"I suppose we both have things to do now, then." With the bomb that he had shown him today, Makoto couldn't blame the Headmaster for wanting to start immediately. He had the same feelings after all, and he could only be glad to have the Headmaster still as an ally rather than an enemy.

"Makoto-kun."

However, before he was allowed to leave, he was forced to look over his shoulder after hearing his name being called by the Headmaster.

The crossed look he received was not one he was used to seeing on the man.

"I don't know who you are protecting," Jin spoke carefully right before raising his hand as soon as he saw that the Luckster was about to protest. "But not only are you the one that knows the situation the most, but you are probably the ones that understand Hope's Peak Academy and its members the best… I can only hope that you won't let your feelings cloud your judgment."

Makoto's eyes widened in response, with his lips parting just as he was about to openly protest. The words died in his throat, however, for he knew what the older man was implying wasn't so far-fetched.

He was already protecting Junko, and to a lesser extent Mukuro, by hiding their status in the future. What would he do if one of his friends had truly become Ultimate Despair?

He had so many questions swarming in his head that he simply didn't know where to even begin.

But even so…

"I'm not going to doubt them." He answered with conviction, simply earning a raised eyebrow in response to the strong-will he showed in his gaze. "I'm going to fix this… But I'm still going to believe in all of them."

He wasn't going to fall into Despair's twisted game. The mistrust, doubt and hatred that had consumed his friends and Future Foundation, he wasn't going to let that get to him.

For that was exactly what Ultimate Despair wanted.

"You…really like to make things harder for yourself, don't you?" Jin's voice came out with nothing but disbelief, to which Makoto could only smile sadly in response.

"You aren't the first one to tell me that."

* * *

So that's your decision, Naegi Makoto.

How naive, but not unexpected.

If something like this was enough to make you change, you wouldn't be here right now, I'm sure…

I want to see it then, how far you're willing to go.

As long as you walk through the halls of Hope's Peak, Naegi Makoto, I'll make sure to not miss your struggle.

I can only wonder though…hmm?

I thought _you_ would be silent from now on…

For a prisoner you have a lot of confidence in him.

Not like such things matter.

I'll let you see it too then.

Patience is a virtue, so we might have to wait.

But in the end, I will be sure to show it to everyone, including you, if you manage to last that long in the first place…

The moment in which Naegi Makoto ceases to exist.

You won't allow it, you say?

Kirigiri Jin is unaware that the school is under my control already.

Naegi Makoto will never realize what happened to you.

What can you do to stop me?

You already saw the inevitable end of it, just like me…

This struggle between Hope and Despair.

* * *

 **Of course, thanks to** **both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this mess of a chapter.**

 **Now let me be completely honest: I don't like this chapter. That's why I made it so short, because I simply didn't enjoy making it since in the end its nothing but exposition. A necessary evil since I just had to show it though, and adding other bigger scenes to balance it out didn't feel appropriate at the moment, and with college coming up once more it would just have delayed this probably for months.**

 **I ended up adding that last bit so that the chapter would have at least something though, so take that last part as you will.**

 **Last chapter had the most reviews of this story so far, and with that came a lot of theories about who Ultimate Despair is. Those were definitely fun to read, but like I said don't expect a straight answer from me so soon. Too bad I can't answer Guests revies though.**

 **If someone outright asked me though, I would say its Hifumi. Probably got tired and went insane or something, I don't know.**

 **On the other side of things, I promise that with next chapter we are also going back to the fun scenarios from the first chapters of the fics, It's not like I'm suddenly turning this into an angst fest, so this is probably as serious at this is going to get for a while, especially with certain group of Lil' Ultimates popping up soon enough.**

 **This probably will be the last quick update since classes are starting again for me, so I can't say when the new chapter will be out.**

 **As always, thank you all for reading this far, and for all of your favs, follows and reviews, and I can only promise that the next chapter will be better.**

 **Next Chapter: Backtracking.**


	13. BINGO

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama**

 **Chapter 11**

 **Bingo**

Hope's Peak Academy was an institution like no other.

There were plenty of aspects that he knew he could use to describe Hope's Peak uniqueness to anyone that asked, for whether it was the famous students that walked through the halls of the reputation of the school itself, the school certainly wasn't lacking uniqueness that made it stand out to the world.

One of these unique qualities was the set of rooms specially crafted to match every single one of the Main Course student's talents and personalities. Special areas in which the Ultimates had anything they could hope to have when it came to developing the skills that marked them as Ultimates in the first place.

Or, as they were better known around the halls of the school: Research Labs.

From massive areas that couldn't even fit inside the main building, like those of the Ultimate Inventor and the dojo that worked for both the Ultimate Martial Artist and Ultimate Aikido Master, to small but no less impressive rooms that housed nothing but the best like those for the Ultimate Gambler, Ultimate Gamer and Ultimate Pianist.

He even had his own one, but unlike the rest, that room was also shared by those that had the same talent as him. It made for quite the experience when they needed to do something together in that place, that much he couldn't deny.

And if he had to be honest with himself, there was one particular Research Lab that he visited far more than any other, even far more than his own.

And considering what room that was, it probably wasn't something he should feel proud off, all things considered.

It didn't help that he was about to enter that very same Research Lab once more, although this time he was entering without any type of bodily harm to his person.

And he was also conscious this time around, so that was always a good thing, right?

…He was really glad Hope's Peak offered good insurance to its students.

But even so…

"Hm? Naegi-kun?"

The one that greeted him this time wasn't the owner of this room, which also just so happened to function as the school's nursery.

"Kimura-senpai?" His tone was one of confusion just as his brown orbs landed on the silver-haired woman who stood on the middle of the room, with her signature mask covering her mouth as usual.

"Did something happen?" And just as he had come to expect from the one known as the Ultimate Pharmacist, Kimura Seiko's voice came with nothing but softness and worry.

He could only give the former student a wry smile, for he certainly couldn't blame her for coming to the conclusion that something had happened. Even ignoring the room they were currently in, her question was something he had grown used to hear a lot around these walls.

He wasn't even really surprised by Seiko's presence in the room, let alone the school. Graduated students coming back to offer their services to the institution certainly wasn't anything new, and considering the good relationship the Ultimate Pharmacist had with the Ultimate Nurse, it wasn't strange to see the silver-haired woman in this room.

"N-no!" He answered as soon as he noticed the frown on her face becoming more pronounced. "I just came to…check on…something…"

His voice, just like his attention, ended up trailing off as soon as he noticed that they weren't alone in the room.

The face he had worn so far slowly, but surely, morphed into an incredulous one as soon his brain processed properly what he was watching, with his mouth flapping even though no sound escaped him for almost a full minute.

"Yamada-kun… Kizakura-sensei?" He spoke with no small amount of wonder, for just the fact that he was able to recognize the two individuals resting on a pair of beds in front of him.

And credits to the Luckster for even recognizing the duo considering that 99% of their bodies were covered by nothing but white bandages.

The only reason he could even do such a thing was because of the thin spike of hair going up from one of the body's head, and because of the hat that, for reasons beyond his understanding, was resting on the head of the other figure.

Seriously, he even had to wonder if they were even able to breathe properly. The beeping coming from the machines besides the duo at least told him that they were alive, but such a sight brought nothing but questions to his mind.

"Ahh, were you worried about Yamada-kun and Kizakura-san's condition?" Questions that Seiko was seemingly more than happy to answer. "There's no need to worry, Naegi-kun. Both of them should be fine tomorrow. Ludenberg-san and Yukizome-sensei didn't inflict any permanent damage on them from what I gather."

Permanent damage or not, wasn't this still too much?

"What did they do to them, exactly…?" He ended up asking without even realizing it.

"According to what Tsumiki-san wrote here…" The silver-haired graduated was quick to answer while flipping through a few sheets of paper in her hands. "They 'ripped it off' apparently…"

Makoto simply blinked at hearing that, not knowing what to say to that.

Seiko just coughed slightly into her mask.

Both Hifumi's and Koichi's body shook, almost as if they were remembering something extremely painful.

And last, the closet hidden on the corner of the room shook in tandem with them.

…wait, what?

The confused look the Luckster was already giving to said closet turned into a wide-eyed one as soon as the door of the metallic object was suddenly swung open, allowing for a pair of empty eyes to lock firmly on the time-traveler.

"Could you leave? I don't need Yukizome hearing you're here and coming to finish her job." The more than obviously tired form of one Matsuda Yasuke said with his head popping out of the dark closet with a flashlight and a novel on his hands, right before closing the door once more to the world, leaving two perplexed Ultimates in his wake.

"Did you know that…" He started.

"I didn't…" And Seiko finished for him, right before the closet was opened once more by a glaring Yasuke.

"And I have no idea what you did to Junko, but I refuse to clean the mess that she left in her room."

And with that, the Ultimate Neurologist went back to his self-imposed confinement, which in his own mind was miles better than dealing with the psychopath that he had as a teacher.

This left a Luckster with an increasingly stronger headache and a gut feeling that he needed to have a few conversations about why putting others in the infirmary wasn't a good thing, even if a few of them seemed to enjoy it, and a suddenly depressed Ultimate Pharmacist that had her violet eyes glued to the floor.

"I didn't know you were like that with Enoshima-san, Naegi-kun…" The soft voice of the former student was enough to tear Makoto's attention from his thoughts, and it only took him exactly 4 seconds to figure out what Seiko meant, for it certainly wasn't the first time such a misunderstanding had been made by now.

"We are _not_ -!"

"Ruruka-chan won't like this." With her words, his ears turned red and his eyes wider, for he could only imagine what the Ultimate Confectioner would do if she got the wrong impression on something.

"T-that isn't-"

"Sonosuke-kun won't like it either." And now his face simply went ghastly pale, his eyes glossing over and his mind going to unknown lands to the point that he missed the last words the silver-haired graduated whispered.

"I thought we would only have to share you between us three…"

Maybe his senpai still had enough room in that closet for him too? He wasn't that much of a fan of light novels but he could learn.

"Is everything here…alright?"

And it was to such a sight, one of the young ahoge-haired boy muttering how hiding knives in cakes wasn't an acceptable notion while a silver-haired masked woman whispered to herself about dividing time equally, all with two mummified bodies still shaking in fear, that greeted the pair of students that had just decided to open the door to their classmate's Lab.

A rather loud cough from one of the newcomers was finally enough to gather the attention of the mumbling duo, whose attention was quick to move to the girl with narrowed eyes and the nervous looking guy right behind her.

"Koizumi-senpai?"

"Mitarai-kun?"

The two newcomers stood side by side right after entering and closing the door behind them, with the duo sporting a pair of looks that the Luckster had come to get used to receiving when it came from them.

From the raised eyebrow and narrowed eyes that hid the concern coming from the red-head known as the Ultimate Photographer to the more subdued, tired and nervous pair of hazel eyes that belonged to the Ultimate Animator, the time-traveler found himself giving a wry smile to the two older Ultimates, Koizumi Mahiru and Mitarai Ryota.

Just who he wanted to see right now.

"S-sorry for interrupting, Kimura-senpai, Naegi-kun." The light brunette said in honest regret just as his fidgeting gaze moved from the duo to his frowning classmate. "W-we thought Tsumiki-san would be here…"

A sudden flash of understanding popped in Seiko's purple eyes for the world to see, one that had her nodding a couple of times before she moved her gaze to the opposite side of the room.

"Mikan-san told me you would be coming before she left. Just give me a second." The oldest of the group spoke before moving with the obvious intention of retrieving something from one of the many shelves in the room.

The Luckster received nothing but a wondering gaze from the Ultimate Animator, to which he could only shrug in response. He truly had no idea where the Ultimate Nurse could be at the moment if she wasn't here, especially If her classmates themselves had no idea either.

Considering how much he knew one Tsumiki Mikan loved her Research Lab, however, he could only guess that it had to do with something of importance.

* * *

"A-and you say he has been unconscious for the whole weekend…?"

"That's what Tojo-san told me. It apparently has something to do with Ikusaba-senpai…Sorry for dragging you here, Tsumiki-senpai!"

"N-no, it's fine, Akamatsu-san…I just, uhm…"

"Yes?"

"Wouldn't it be easier if we untie hi-"

"No, he stays like that until we _graduate_."

"Momota-kun!"

"What?! You wanted us to vote and we voted!"

The only other sound besides the two arguing Ultimates and the clearly confused Nurse was the gargling from the defeated Supreme Leader.

* * *

"I understand those two being here." It was the red-head the one that spoke next while signaling to the mummified, bed-ridden duo behind the ahoge-haired boy. "But what about you? If you're still feeling bad so bad then…"

The concern and doubt in her voice were more than obvious to him, and at that moment Makoto couldn't be gladder that the red-head was one of the most level-headed friends that he had. Her concerns were understandable, of course, but he could name more than a few individuals that would most likely jump to conclusions rather quickly.

"No!" He answered swiftly and with a disarming smile that obviously didn't fool the older girl if her frown was anything to go by. Something certainly did happen, but it wasn't something that he could reveal of course. "I was just looking for Mitarai-senpai."

"M-me?" The Ultimate Animator in question was quick to become the center of attention between his classmate and the younger Ultimate. Curiosity showed in Ryota's face, one that was quick to morph into honest nervousness once he noticed the shift in Makoto's eyes.

"It's about the _project_ that you were working on in your second year, senpai." Even his voice came out with such seriousness that it caught not only Ryota, but even Mahiru by surprise. It wasn't like Ryota had never seen the Luckster with such an intense gaze crossing his eyes however, for he certainly remembers being on the receiving end of that exact same look barely a year ago.

Curiously enough, the subject that day had been the exact same the younger Ultimate had just decided to bring out once more.

"I just wanted to know if you had decided to continue with it, senpai."

It sounded like an innocent enough question born out of nothing but interest, but the Ultimate Animator couldn't help but think that there was something more behind it. Was that apprehension that he had heard in his underclassmen's voice? He wasn't sure.

And judging by the look they were receiving from the freckled girl that had accompanied him here, something told Ryota that his class was going to start to get more on edge around him than usual.

And here he thought that acting disinterested would work until the end of the year, but it seems getting Makoto's help was going to become increasingly hard if Mahiru's narrowed eyes were anything to go by.

"I know you told me you weren't continuing with it, but…" The Luckster continued with a frown, one that was met with a small smile from the Animator who simply shook his head slowly.

"I took what you told me to heart, Naegi-kun," Ryota spoke softly, the memories of those days back in his first and second year being enough to tug a smile out of him. "I'd rather have those watching what I make feel the emotions naturally than forcing them to do so… I promise you I scrapped everything about those videos already."

And without even realizing it the Luckster ended up releasing a breath he hadn't even known he had been holding. One of his hands went to his chest before a relieved smile appeared on his lips, which he was quick to aim at the now more relaxed Animator.

Besides the Kamukura Izuru Project, the creation of both the Suicide and the Despair videos had been one of the first things he had focused on intervening.

Junko's craftiness could not be denied by anyone, but it was those videos that allowed her to do as much damage as she did. The talent of the Ultimate Animator was certainly a scary thing in the wrong hands, and even if he truly didn't blame Ryota, he still knew better than to allow such a thing to be created.

At least, not while Junko walked the halls of this school.

And in the back of his head, he also knew that it was a bit more personal than that. Knowing what he knew after experiencing one of the videos himself, he truly didn't wish that on anyone.

Then again, something told him someone like Junko would actually enjoy the damn thing.

If the current mattes weren't so urgent already, he wouldn't have brought such a subject in front of others, but getting a straight answer from the Ultimate Animator took priority over anything else.

"You two…are awfully close to one another, aren't you?"

The voice in question was filled with nothing but suspicion, for in all her time as a student in Hope's Peak Academy, the Ultimate Photographer had never seen her frail classmate particularly close to the younger Ultimate.

And when your whole classroom has a thing for said Luckster one way or another, you tended to notice anyone that didn't share the sentiment simply because of how much they stood out.

But then again, there were those times in which Makoto would seemingly disappear out of thin air to the point no one was able to find him.

The school was massive, of course, but they all still had their ways to find him even in such a big place, so for Makoto to be nowhere to be seen…

They never did check on the Animator's Research Lab though…

And in response to the increasingly narrowing eyes of Mahiru, both Makoto and Ryota could do nothing but to do their best to not meet her eyes. Whenever the Luckster helped the Animator they always did their best to keep it a secret.

It simply came with Ryota preferring if no strangers suddenly barged into his Research Lab without his permission.

"I-I'm actually working on something new right now!" Urging himself to change the subject, Ryota was quick to mumble out before the red-head asked any more details. The only ones that knew how close he was to the Luckster were the missing Nurse and the Ultimate Impostor, after all, and he would certainly prefer it if it was kept that way. "I even thought about showing it to the Elementary Division to see if they liked it…"

And just like that, it was as if a sudden revelation has shined upon the brown-haired teen known as Naegi Makoto, for the next thing both third-year students saw was the way his face went from nervousness to absolutely nothing before flashing in understanding, almost as if he had figured out something of utmost importance.

They could even see the figurative light bulb flashing above his head.

And the next thing they knew was that Makoto had their eyes on them, or most specifically on the freckled girl of the duo.

"Koizumi-senpai!"

As for the girl in question, before she knew it she already had the teen's hand clasped on her wrist, an action that was more than enough to get a small yelp out of her lips.

"I need your help!"

* * *

"I-16."

"Bingo~!"

"Oh c'mon!"

"That's cheating!"

"For fuck's sake!"

"Language!"

Homeroom was always a challenging time for the teachers of Hope's Peak Academy.

Even though she would definitely call any of her charges a bad kid, she was more than aware of how…difficult some of them could be.

Considering how much she remembers of her own time as a student and the things she knew her previous class was capable of doing, she knew that it was a thing of pretty much every batch that had ever, and would ever grace Hope's Peak Academy.

She loved her job though, so even if things could get chaotic from time to time it was something that she simply learned to accept and handle. She certainly wasn't going to stop them from playing as long as it wasn't anything dangerous.

She was more than aware though, that the current chaos was in part because of the lack of one particular student.

But even so, it wasn't the actual disruption of her class that had her feeling so defeated…

"Uhm, Kyoko-chan…"

"You can't participate, Yukizome-sensei."

"But why not?!"

It was the fact that she wasn't allowed to play that had her kneeling beside the Ultimate Detective while tugging at her sleeve with her hands, while sporting the best pleading look she could muster in the hope that her request would be accepted.

A request that was met with nothing but cold purple orbs.

"Because last time it was hard to explain to the authorities why a teacher was on a _date_ with one of her students."

"I-it sounds worse than it was if you put it like th-"

"Naegi-kun had to lie so that you wouldn't be sent to the Reserve Course."

"T-that was a misunderstan-"

"And you still refused to erase those pictures in your phone, which led to another call from the Headmaster and to Naegi-kun lying for you, _again_."

Each cold word from the daughter of the Headmaster felt like a knife being stuck right into her body, to the point that the Ultimate Housekeeper had no choice but to back down momentarily.

And by that, it meant crouching in the corner with a defeated pout on her face and her fingers making circles on the floor while muttering how the Ultimate Gamer never treated her like this and how no one understood her maiden's heart.

Alongside a few other comments that Kirigiri Kyoko decided to ignore for the sake of whatever lingering respect she still had for the teacher.

While deciding to leave the sometimes childish teacher to her own devices, the Ultimate Detective moved her impassive gaze to the rest of the classroom, which allowed more than a clear look on each one of her fellow classmates.

Well, most of them considering that the room still had a few empty seats. Five of them to be exact, not counting hers considering how she was standing at the front of the class where the teacher would normally be.

The ones missing in question were the resident blue-eyed sisters, something that wasn't really a surprise. The Fashionista wasn't exactly what one would call a model student, and the Soldier was most likely either with her or with their resident Lucky Student.

Who just so happened to be one of the missing individuals, same with the Ultimate Doujin Author but at least she knew where he was.

The last one was the other blonde of the class, something that was to be expected. As Ultimates, a lot of the student's of the school had responsibilities outside of it, normally something that had to do with their own talents.

This rang especially true for the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy, who had a whole empire to run. To see the Togami heir missing a day or two of class certainly wasn't new.

"Ufufufu, please continue with our _game_ , Kirigiri-san. I would like to finish this and claim my prize as _soon_ as possible."

Then again, considering the scene happening in front of her eyes, maybe her focus was best put in those that were here instead of those that weren't.

Considering how most of the class looked upset, defeated or even ready to kill, that was definitely a safe bet.

And the only one to blame for that was the gothic-themed girl sitting at the middle of the classroom, her smile a serene one and her red eyes shining, a face that the Detective now understood was a sign that the Ultimate Gambler was doing what she loved the most.

Namely, to beat everyone into submission.

"Why the hell are we even playing this crap anyway?!" It was Kuwata Leon the one that stood up suddenly, his glare aimed at the obviously amused Ludenberg. "Not like we ever stood a chance against you!"

"You _owe_ me this," Celestia said in a cold voice, one that made more than a few in the room to gulp without even knowing it. "What did you expect after the little stunt you all had Yamada-kun do to me, hmm?"

"I'-I'm sure it wasn't _that_ bad…" It was Aoi the one that commented next, simply earning another pointed look that had her almost flinching on the spot.

"Can't you just beat the living shit out of Yamada again and call it even?" Mondo offered his own retort while scratching the back of his head. "I'll even hold him for you so that he doesn't escape."

"As _tempting_ as that sounds," Celestia spoke in a dry tone, right before a mocking smile once again graced her lips. "I think I'll prefer the time I'll have with Naegi-kun much more."

"Guh… Witch." Another comment was sent on Celestia's way, this one coming from her left. She made sure to bat her eyelashes in that direction enough to make Toko bite her thumb with enough force to almost draw blood.

"You better not do anything weird to Naegi-kun." The next threat came from behind Celestia, to which she could only turn around slightly in order to aim a polite smile at the Pop Sensation sitting behind her.

"I assure you I won't do anything _you_ wouldn't," Sayaka's eye was almost twitching at the tone she received, which was exactly what Celestia wanted. " _Ero-Idol."_

The next few seconds involved Sakura keeping a hold on the blue-haired Idol to make sure she didn't throw herself at the smirking Gambler.

More complains followed soon after, but none that mattered to one Celestia Ludenberg, who simply kept waiting eagerly for Kyoko to resume their little impromptu game of _BINGO_.

Because if there was one thing that the Ultimate Detective had in common with her class was that they _truly_ did care about the well-being of their resident ahoge-haired boy.

She knew her classmates could sometimes be a bit on the thoughtless side, but anyone that said that they didn't care for the Luckster was either lying or blind.

And it was for that reason that they were doing this, for normally the competition for Makoto's attention would be nothing short of a free-for-all involving not only them but the majority of the school.

The only moments in which that ever changed was when it involved the other classes. Then it became a matter that the whole class could work together to win, for keeping Naegi Makoto on their class, where he _belonged_ took priority over anything else.

It wouldn't be the first time another class had managed to make him a member of their group, after all, even if the school rules dictated otherwise.

They couldn't do that today though, and they knew that. Because as far as they were aware, the Luckster just came from feeling so bad that he couldn't even come to school. Anyone that knew Makoto could easily testify on how weird that fact was, for Kyoko was sure he sometimes spent even more time here than in his own house.

So for him to not be able to come, she could only guess how badly he had felt just yesterday.

And knowing that, the last thing she, or anyone in the class for that matter, wanted to do was to make him feel worse.

So they had decided to use the Homeroom time to decide who got to spend time with the Luckster by themselves before he arrived to avoid any fights that might make things worse.

The issue though, and that was also the reason class 78 never did things like that, was that they had a resident _troublemaker_ that made almost every game like this utterly useless considering the winner was obvious most of the time.

It came with having someone as the Ultimate Gambler on their class, she supposed.

She wasn't even allowed to participate since not only she had been the last one that got to spend time alone with the Luckster, but the class had also somehow figured out her sudden ramen outing with her father and the ahoge-haired boy in question, so she was left with the duty of calling out the numbers and watching how Celestia won every single round.

Oh, and also to keep their teacher busy, that too.

She could only sigh just as Celestia laughed slowly before calling her out once more in order to resume the game. One more round and Celestia would be the winner after all, and it was as one-sided as it could get.

But just as she was about to declare the beginning of the next round, the young Kirigiri was interrupted by the sudden entrance of one of the missing students, bringing the class' attention to the newcomer rather quickly.

"Eh? Byakuya-kun?" It was Chisa the one that spoke, however the blonde in question obviously didn't care if the way he quickly swept his eyes over the classroom was anything to go by.

"I won't even bother with this one." Said the heir of the Togami Empire, easily putting two and two together. It wasn't hard when you had Ludenberg looking as smug as possible and Maizono looking ready to bite someone's head off.

Not that it mattered to him, for if they wanted to waste their time going against the Ultimate Gambler then they were even more foolish than he thought.

He was a man with a mission however, one that was quick to bring him right in front of the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader's desk.

"You, monkey."

"You want to pick a fight now or something?!" Byakuya was not one to play nice, and Mondo wasn't one to take comments like that calmly, something that had the tallest of the two suddenly raising up from his seat to glare down at the arm-crossed blonde.

"Did Makoto tell you _why_ he was unable to come yesterday?" Byakuya completely ignored the threat thrown to his face and asked with nothing showing on his expression, now gaining a confused stare from Mondo in response.

"Did you not get the message I sent to everyone?" In Mondo's stead, it was Kiyotaka the one that answered, for it was the Ultimate Moral Compass the one that had reported to every one of his class after Mondo had explained how the visit to Makoto's home had gone.

That response, however, seemed to not impress Byakuya if the way he shook his head worked as an indication for anything.

"I got that one," Byakuya answered while keeping eye contact with Mondo. "But I wanted to know if the thug here managed to learn the _real_ reason too."

The room fell in utter silence after those words were said, and even the previously angry Sayaka and confident Celestia were now looking carefully at the glass-wearing heir, trying to understand what he was implying.

"R-real reason…?" In the end, it was the small boy sitting beside Mondo the one that asked for the group, with even Chihiro looked worried about Byakuya's words.

As for the blonde he simply kept staring at the glaring Mondo for a few more seconds before simply snorting and shaking his head and obvious disappointment, his stare then being quick to move to a pair of purple eyes.

"I expect this much from the rest, but from you, Kirigiri?" Byakuya spoke in mock disappointment, simply earning a silently raised eyebrow from the lavender-haired girl. "Maybe you're losing your _touch_."

Kyoko wasn't going to take the bait however, for if Byakuya wanted to get a rise out of her he would have to try harder than that.

That didn't mean she didn't know what he was talking about, though, but it was a suspicion that she would have preferred to keep to herself.

"As to what I meant," Byakuya spoke just as his body took him to the door he has just walked from, his tone aloof as always. "For Naegi to decide not to come and say it was due to stress… It's almost as if none of you actually knew him."

Glares were sent on his way with those words, but he didn't particularly care, just like most didn't care if he simply left the room like he was trying too.

"There's obviously something more going on with Naegi if it got him so bad to the point he would lie about it." He still felt like leaving some parting words, however. "As to what that is, go figure that one out by yourselves. He obviously isn't here so I'll go get my answers somewhere else."

And then he was gone, leaving a silent room in his wake, with the rest of class 78 either trying to understand properly what the blonde meant or looking at Mondo, who simply kept an angry stare aimed at the floor.

And it was for such reason that Kyoko would have preferred to keep things under wraps. There was obviously something else going on, something that probably had to do with her father too, but putting everyone on edge like this, even though that was obviously what Makoto had been trying to avoid…

That guy enjoyed the sound of his own voice way too much for her taste.

A small sigh left her lips before she coughed on her gloved fist, doing her best to earn the attention of her class. Even the teacher was muttering things that she wasn't able to hear properly, although she could easily guess it had to do with Makoto as usual.

Her lips parted slowly, for she was about to goad them into continuing their little game. It beat having everyone looking so upset, after all. Sure, she valued silence, but this one felt too unnatural for her taste.

But before she was able to do so, she was once again interrupted by the other door of the classroom being opened.

And she had been more than ready to ask Byakuya what he wanted this time around, but the one that made an entrance hadn't been the annoying blonde.

No, instead of him it was the Luckster that was in everyone's thought that had just graced the room with his presence.

And just like a magnet, his mere presence had drawn the attention of every single pair of eyes in the room, including hers.

But to Naegi Makoto it seemed that there was only one other person in the classroom right now, for the ahoge-haired boy moved like a man on a mission and walked straight towards one of the desks on the left side of the room.

Or rather, straight to the girl sitting there.

"Asahina-san, I need you!"

Suffice to say that his words, alongside the way in which Makoto grabbed Aoi's hand, was more than enough to send the rest of the room into a frenzy, especially for the now blushing Swimmer in front of Makoto.

The fact that their teacher was one of the most vocal ones didn't help either.

And now, Kirigiri Kyoko could only rub her forehead and hope for her Luckster to clear up this misunderstanding…

…Because this _better_ be a misunderstanding.

* * *

 **This one really took far longer than I thought it would, especially since it isn't particularly long. College is college though, so what can I say?**

 **A relaxing moment for everyone after the previous chapter was sorely needed, and I really hope this one delivers. Seiko is my favorite character from DR3, in case anyone wondered. I really didn't want to take so long into this chapter considering how nothing much happens in this one, so I apologize once more for that one.**

 **Or maybe I'm lying and this one has a big clue somewhere. I still think Hifumi did it though. Also, poor Tsumugi and Chisa. You turn into Despair or make the series go full meta once and you start appearing on everyone's suspect list.**

 **This one probably made it obvious, but the next one (whenever that one pops out) will feature a certain bunch that a lot of you had been asking about for a long time, alongside a V3 character. Guess which one is it and you earn a cookie.**

 **Let me just thank you all for both your patience and for your continuous support in the form of views, follows, favorites and of course reviews (and sorry that it took me so long to answer those. My internet connection is as shitty as it can get).**

 **With any luck, next chapter will come out sooner, but since it will be longer I wouldn't hold my breath.**

 **Next Chapter: Warriors of Hope.**


	14. Hope Of The Future – Despair Of The Past

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama.**

 **Chapter 12**

 **Hope Of The Future – Despair Of The Past**

"I will never let anything happen to you." He spoke with conviction and nothing but determination shining in his gaze. Brown eyes clashed against a pair of blue ones belonging to the squirming girl lying right in front of him.

"Y-you mean it…?" The girl in question could only ask while doing her best to keep eye contact, even as she felt the heat reaching her cheeks. She knew it was dumb, to act all skittish like this considering the situation, but she just couldn't help it! She could even feel her heart threatening to burst out of her chest, and just wondering if the young man kneeling in front of her could hear that was enough to make her embarrassment even fiercer.

"Of course." And then he smiled, that same smile that could make her legs turn into jelly with the greatest of ease. These type of things had never been her strong suit, so to have _him_ acting like this, so close to her to the point that he was almost holding her… She could only be glad that she was already down on the floor.

Her lips parted, but no sound came out of them. She knew what she had to say now, of course. She hadn't had any real issue memorizing what she had to say in the first place, and she would be lying if she hadn't already practiced saying it before from time to time.

Speaking to a mirror though, was far easier than _this_. If she could actually bare her heart like that then she wouldn't become such a mess just with his touch, right? Her best friend has always told her to have more confidence in herself and be more assertive, but the only thing she wanted to do right now was to crawl in a hole and hide.

But then again…could there a better moment than this? She had already been dragged into doing this, leaving her so close to what she wanted the most, so why not take the chance? The knots forming themselves on her stomach told her not to, but the longing inside of her spoke of a different story.

How long, after all, would she be able to wait before she lost her chance for good?

Her lips trembled just as she felt the palms of her hands becoming a sweaty mess. She would have to make him understand then, beyond any doubt what she truly meant.

So just as the gaze from the object of her affection slowly turned into a worried one, she closed her eyes and opened her mouth, for the thing that she had wanted to say for so long now demanded to be left out, even if the embarrassment killed her.

"I…!"

 _Whap_

"Ouch!"

"Flirting in the middle of the battlefield…Have you no shame, _Hero_?"

And just like that, the moment was gone. Whether it was because of the sound of wood smacking something, the cry of pain from the Luckster kneeling in front of her, or the annoyed glare she was receiving from the red-eyed underclassmen standing in front of her, the Ultimate Swimming Pro wasn't able to say.

She had to admit though, that was one scary glare the one she was receiving at the moment, a glare that was only lessened by the outfit the girl in question was wearing.

Not like she had any room to talk considering what she herself was wearing at the moment though.

"Wait…that wasn't on the script."

Such comment was quick to earn the attention of the trio, even as the resident time-traveler of the group helped his classmate to get back on her feet while doing his best to act as if he wasn't feeling the daggers being thrown at him in the form of a quite cold glare from his right.

What did he do now? He was just following the script as best as he could! He didn't remember getting hit like that being part of it though.

Not that she would question the still glaring younger Ultimate, however, for he was still rubbing the back of his head and something told him she wasn't above a repeat performance.

Instead, his gaze moved to the one that had voiced his concerns when it came to the script of their little play. Such action brought his focus to a young blue-haired boy, definitely no older than twelve, standing in front of the stage they had been using so far.

Said boy was too busy looking at a stack of papers in his hand, almost as if he was trying to find something wrong with it. The Luckster knew he was right however, for as far as he can remember this was the part in which the childhood friend and first member of the party finally confessed her feelings towards the Hero right before their final confrontation with the Dark Witch.

Suffice to say, such a thing didn't happen, which was probably for the best all things considered. Sure, his head now stung a bit, but it had been obvious just how embarrassed with the whole thing Aoi had been.

Not like he hadn't been either, but by now he had gotten a lot better when it came to these types of acts.

"Who cares?!" And the reason for that was the pink-haired young girl standing right beside the blue-haired boy with a look of nothing but satisfaction present on her face. "Just imagine it! Everyone thinks the evil Witch is just a callous monster, but with each confrontation against the Hero, she starts growing fond of him! To the point that she can't live without him and it shows when she grows jealous of the love between the Hero and his party!"

The young girl in question ended her ramble with a content sigh leaving her lips just as her eyes told a story of a girl fantasizing with things beyond anyone's understanding, especially the blue-haired boy that kept looking at her as if she had lost her mind.

As for the Luckster himself, he could only give a wry smile, not only because of the action of the two kids but also because of the rather fierce poking that he kept receiving on his ribs, courtesy of the black-haired girl still glaring to his side.

"I'm not doing _that_." The Ultimate Child Caregiver, Harukawa Maki, hissed in a slow tone so that only Makoto would hear her, but her words only got a slightly confused expression from the ahoge-boy in question.

"But…you were already dressed like that before we arrived." That was the truth, after all, for the first thing that he got to see as soon as he had arrived into the Elementary Course was that of what could only be described as a cosplaying Maki.

He definitely would know, because by now he could recognize the Ultimate Cosplayer's work anywhere.

Suffice to say, Maki had promised a swift death to anyone that dared to mention this to anyone, especially to her classmates.

"…shut up." The black-haired girl in question could only mutter before looking swiftly to the side, and at that moment the Luckster could have sworn there had been a tint of pink appearing on her cheeks.

He decided, as his survival instinct told him, to not comment on how those clothes actually suited her way too much. He had done the same to the still breathless Swimmer to his other side, after all, and her reaction had been a worrying one, to say the least.

"But, shouldn't we work with what we have already?" Hearing the blue-haired boy complain once more, Makoto was quick to bring his attention to the duo again, just in time to see the pink-haired girl moving her finger from side to side in front of the boy's face.

"This is why I'm in charge, Nagisa-kun."

"Kotoko…" And for his part, the young boy known as Shingetsu Nagisa, could only sigh quietly, deciding that arguing with his normally stubborn classmate was not worth the effort.

Someone didn't share his views, however.

"This is all so lame!" It was a red-headed boy the one that spoke next in an obviously bored tone from behind the duo, right before a grin appeared on his face. Before anyone could react the boy had already jumped on the stage and stood right in front of the Luckster with no small amount of excitement showing on his blue eyes.

"C'mon Aniki! Let's go play something else!" The boy spoke while pretty much shaking in his spot. He even tried to drag the time-traveler by the hand, to which Makoto could only smile at how active the red-head could be.

"Masaru-kun…" It wasn't really a surprise, however, considering how he was dealing with the one Daimon Masaru.

Masaru's attempt at dragging him, however, was stopped almost immediately by someone slapping him right on the back of his head, earning the boy's ire as he glared straight at the pink-haired girl that had joined them on the stage.

"What gives, Kotoko?!"

"Onii-san already promised me to help me with this play, so I won't have you ruining it for me, Masaru!" Utsugi Kotoko was not one to relent though, so even while facing a glaring Masaru the only thing she did was to glare straight back for a couple of seconds, right before moving her attention to the Luckster in question, her previous glare changing so quickly into a smile that anyone would have missed it if they had blinked it.

"Isn't that right, Onii-san?" She said cutely just as she grabbed his hand with both of hers, and with the young girl looking up at with such an expression he found it hard to do anything besides nodding, earning a victorious grin from the girl which she made sure to aim at the fuming red-head.

"That's not fair; you've been hogging him all day with your stupid play!" Masaru stomped on his foot while almost growling, but it was hardly a threatening visage in the Luckster's opinion. "Why can't you just get someone else to help you?!"

"Who am I supposed to get? You would just ruin everything and Jataro-kun is too shy!" The girl whined right before pointing at the last of the trio that was coming closer. "And Nagisa-kun would just dream about Monaca-chan all day!"

"I-wha-that's…!" The boy in question could only splutter in response, with even the tips of his ears going red. He _would_ not, thank you very much!

"Everyone, please…" As for the oldest of the bunch, the brown-haired teen tried to stop what he knew was an oncoming argument, but he certainly found himself unable to do so once he ended up becoming the figurative rope in the pulling game between Masaru and Kotoko, with both children holding each of his hands and refusing to let go no matter what.

And with Nagisa just muttering to himself on the side, something told the time-traveled that he wasn't getting any help with his predicament.

And watching this spectacle was a group formed of three girls, each one wearing clothes that they certainly weren't used to see, let alone actually use.

Two of them, in particular, knew that they wouldn't use such clothes unless actually necessary, but it was simply hard to say no to the Luckster, especially considering the reason behind their outfits.

"He's really going to spoil them rotten." The red-head and oldest of the group spoke with a shake of her head, although nothing but fondness could be found in her tone. She knew she was just the same as him in that regard though, for there was one small blonde on her class that she certainly favored more than she should. Mahiru knew, after all, that if someone didn't look out for her class they would most certainly become a mess.

Just like the other two, her normal uniform had also been replaced by clothes one would find in one of the games her Class Representative enjoyed so much, however unlike the other two girls whose costumes were supposed to be of a _Dark Mage_ and a _Fighter_ , hers was supposed to make her the _Priest_ of the group, or at least that's what the kids had explained after showing the costumes to them.

The only reason she hadn't been participating on that last scene is that her character had already died before, so she had been relegated to taking pictures from the side, although something told her that red-eyed Ultimate of the three wouldn't let her show such pictures around.

Of course, Makoto himself was also sporting his own costume, which apparently was supposed to make him the _Hero_ of the tale. Such a thing didn't surprise any of the three girls though, for they knew that when it came to these particular children, favoritism towards Makoto was putting it lightly.

Not that they were that different on that regard, either.

"Naegi-kun just doesn't know how to refuse to someone." It was Aoi the one that followed up with a fond smile on her lips, just as she watched the tugging match between the two kids become even fiercer.

"He also has a soft spot for them." Mahiru certainly lost count of how many times Makoto got too busy because he was doing something on the Elementary Course of the school. She could only wonder if it had to do with him being an older brother.

Considering how _aggressive_ , for lack of better terms, these kids had been towards everyone she knew at the start, she could only assume that Makoto was a natural with kids.

"He isn't the only one!" And to the Swimmer's words, both girls turned to look at the younger Ultimate that had been silent so far, who simply narrowed her eyes at them before huffing quietly, her body moving soon after.

"I'll go and change." Maki declared with aloofness, deciding that leaving was better than dealing with teasing from her seniors. Besides, the less she spends with these clothes the better.

Cosplaying still left a sour taste in her mouth, after all.

"W-wait, Harukawa-san!" Mahiru was quick to follow, however, with a small smile still on her lips, for as comfortable as the costumes were, they could only handle so much embarrassment.

Aoi was not going to be left behind, of course, but just as she was about to follow her gaze ended up trailing towards the Luckster once more, this time her visage turning into one of worry.

Surely, her blonde classmate was just exaggerating, right? Makoto would certainly tell them if something was truly wrong...right?

* * *

With a sigh he walked once again into the theatre, his normal uniform once more present on his body while a bag on his shoulder hid the Hero costume that he had been wearing a while before.

Without even noticing it, his gaze moved to the ceiling of the ample area that was the theater, and once again he was reminded that a school like Hope's Peak truly went all out whenever it could, for even though this place wasn't located on the Main Building, it was still more than enough to leave him breathless, even though it was hardly the first time he had been at such a place.

Truly, even the Elementary Course was on a whole other level compared with the rest of the world.

Then again, considering that such a place held those that would move forward into the Main Course, kids that couldn't even be considered teenagers, and yet already had the title of Ultimates that set them apart from the norm.

Or rather, Li'l Ultimate if he had to be specific.

Semantics aside, with the Elementary Course's objective being to form the Ultimates of the future from a young age, he supposed it wasn't weird that the school wasted no effort to help on their growth.

But then again, no place in Hope's Peak was ever perfect, now was it?

Another sigh left his lips just as he stopped walking, his position high on the last sets of seats allowing him to see the form of three of the kid that by now meant the world to him, to the point that he couldn't believe he had never met them in the future until a few days before his journey.

Utsugi Kotoko, the Li'l Ultimate Drama.

Daimon Masaru, the Li'l Ultimate P.E

And of course, Shingetsu Nagisa, the Li'l Ultimate Social Studies.

They weren't the whole group, but he knew he would be seeing the missing members of their little group soon enough. He would have loved to have them all here at the same time, but while one was sure to arrive soon enough, the other one, well…

She was a completely different matter altogether.

Then again, weren't all of them exceptional? And as his gaze watched the bossy Kotoko order around a grumbling Masaru to clean up the place while a focused Nagisa seemed to try and put everything Kotoko wanted on the new script, he could only think how they were all amazing on their own rights.

Not because of their talents, even though that was impressive by itself.

Not because of the fact that in a few years they would be joining the Main Course.

But simply because they were still able to just _smile_.

And with that thought, others followed soon after. Thoughts that had his hands curling into fists with enough strength to make his knuckles go white.

It wasn't easy to make him this upset, he was sure anyone that knew him could make that clear.

But when it came to these kids, he just couldn't help it whenever the knowledge of their lives made itself present on his mind.

They didn't deserve such a thing. No one did.

Families were supposed to love each other, to support one another, to always be there!

And yet, what their families had done to them… It was unforgivable.

Just like he could never be able to truly forgive Enoshima Junko for what she had done, he knew for a fact he would never be able to forgive those families.

And as far as it concerned him, they would _never_ see these kids ever again. A sentiment that he knew each one of the Li'l Ultimates shared.

Just thinking of some of the things that they did to them, happening to his own little sister…

"They're strong."

Before his own thoughts made his blood boil, a cool voice took him out of that trail of thoughts. He could only be grateful for that to be honest, for the last thing he wanted was to show such a face to those kids.

Knowing them, they might start thinking it was their fault.

"They are." He replied with pride, not even having to turn to know that it was Maki the one that had moved to stand right alongside him. Besides him, the one that knew that fact better than anyone else was most definitely the black-haired girl to his side.

Because he understood by now, that she was the only other person in the school that had been able to connect with the members of the 'Trouble-maker' class, as the school liked to put it.

He wasn't a fan of that title, to say the least.

" _We are similar."_ Such had been Maki's answer when he had asked how she had done it months ago, and he could only be glad that they had found someone else they could trust besides him. They weren't truly a fan of most of the school, and the reason that he had even brought along both Aoi and Mahiru was that out of everyone, they were the ones that the kids accepted the most as of late, even if it was reluctant at best.

There was also certain older Luckster, but that relationship was as one-sided as it could get if anyone asked him.

"Even strong people need help though," Makoto spoke after a couple of minutes of nothing but silence, his gaze then moving towards the girl that offered nothing but a questioning glance, to which he could only smile in return. "Thank you for being there for them."

"You were there first, I didn't do much," Maki replied quickly, while her right hand started to play with one of her long pig-tails without even realizing it. "Besides… I needed to keep an appearance, that's all…"

He knew what she meant by that, he truly did, after all as far as the majority of the school was concerned; Harukawa Maki held the title of Ultimate Child Caregiver, and nothing else.

He knew better of course, but he wasn't going to bring up such a subject right now. He was more than sure, however, that it was more than just for appearance's sake.

His lips parted, for on the back of his head he found the necessity of saying something to the red-eyed younger Ultimate. He didn't however, and instead simply offered a hand, one that was quick to fall onto the girl's shoulder.

He felt her tense for just a moment under his touch, but it didn't take long for her body to relax, even as they kept their silent watch over their young wards. There weren't any words that he could offer to the black-haired girl by now, but he knew that right now this was more than enough.

Such was the nature of their relationship, he knew.

She didn't need anyone giving her pity, so he didn't offer it.

Instead, he just offered her someone that wouldn't judge her and her past.

Strong people also needed help, those words were nothing short of the truth.

" **To see Naegi-chan and Harukawa-chan here, everyone must be so happy!"**

He removed his hand from the girl's shoulder as soon as the squeaky voice filled their ear, knowing that it was something Maki would appreciate, for just like others that he knew, Maki wasn't what one would call a people's person, especially when it came to embarrassing stuff.

He turned his body to the side, an action that was followed by Maki, with both of their eyes quickly focusing on the white and pink rabbit that was practically crying tears of joy.

It sounded a little less weird when you added the fact that it was just a projection on a screen, courtesy of the woman on the wheelchair that was slowly approaching them.

"It's good to see you, Gekkogahara-senpai!" The Luckster greeted the light blue-haired woman with a smile on his face, his gaze then moving from her screen that showed her way of communicating to the small figure almost hiding behind her chair.

"Jataro-kun." It took him less than a second to recognize one of his missing kids, his brown eyes meeting the shy gaze of the hood-wearing Kemuri Jataro.

He always felt pride by the fact that the Li'l Ultimate Art had ditched his mask a long time ago, although the fact that he had replaced it with a hood that was pretty much a carbon copy of his own left him with a few conflicted feelings.

Baby steps he knew, and he would give them all the time in the world.

He kneeled on his spot, allowing him to be on eye level with the brown-eyed boy. Almost immediately, Jataro understood his invitation and moved from behind the Ultimate Therapist, and glued himself to the Luckster's side, with a wry smile forming itself on Makoto's lips at such an action.

"You were helping Gekkogahara-senpai then?" He asked with as much kindness as he could muster, with the only answer he earned being the boy nodding from where he was holding onto his arm.

" **He was! Kirigiri-san already has me checking on the next batch for the Elementary Division!"** It was Usami the one that answered in a voice filled with happiness, with the magical girl-looking rabbit even bouncing on the screen for added effect.

"Thank you for that, Jataro-kun." Makoto continued just as he put his hand above the boy's head, with his action making the hold that Jataro had on his arm becoming a bit tighter.

He opened his mouth to continue his praise, but he was stopped once he felt more than a couple of stares drilling holes on his back.

He turned his head around slightly, just enough to give his attention to the seats that were to his right.

Or rather, the three kids that were standing on said seats, with Kotoko simply pouting while Masaru watched with open jealousy, all the while Nagisa simply kept a narrowed gaze.

Why did he suddenly felt as if he was cheating on someone?

"Jataro-kun is a sly one." Kotoko grumbled from her spot, her words actually earning a nod from Nagisa. Before they could say more, however, it was Masaru the one that took the leap.

Literally as a matter of fact.

"Wow!" The Luckster had to steady himself as the sudden weight of the young red-head landed on his shoulder, with his left hand immediately moving to support the boy that now sat on his shoulders while his right one kept a secure hold on Jataro, who simply refused to release him from his grip.

"That was dangerous, Daimon." The one that reproached the Li'l Ultimate was Maki herself, who simply kept looking at the sight with her arms crossed below her chest.

Not that the blue-eyed boy even heard her, however, for he was too busy enjoying his new spot. His sudden movement had forced the Luckster to stand up properly to get a better balance, after all, easily putting Masaru above everyone else while Jataro decided to move his grip to Makoto's right leg.

"Hey, you could have hurt Onii-san, you idiot!" Kotoko pretty much barked from her seat, but the only thing she got in response was Masaru sticking his tongue out.

"He's going to hurt himself one of these days." Nagisa said under his breath, barely high enough for the rest to hear.

"You're all just jealous you didn't think of it first!" The victorious grin Masaru sported only gained the ire of the Li'l Ultimate Drama, who was more than ready to give the knucklehead a piece of her mind if she had to.

" **Now now kids, fighting is just no good!"** Makoto could only chuckle at the vain attempt by the Ultimate Therapist to defuse the situation.

He knew something had to be done, however. He knew that their arguments were generally nothing but their way of showing that they cared, but he didn't want for the pink-haired girl to try and crawl her way up his body.

It wouldn't be the first time, and he was sure his ahoge could still remember the pain from that day.

"Eh?!" In the end, Masaru's victory was short-lived, for Makoto was quick to put him down from his shoulder and into the floor right in front of him, simply earning a pout from the hyperactive kid.

"Kotoko-chan, Nagisa-kun" The time-traveled called the duo next, making the two share a look before walking from their seat to stand in front of the once again kneeling Luckster, framing Masaru who stood on the middle.

"I actually came here to tell you something." Makoto revealed slowly, earning confused looks not only from the three kids, but even Jataro raised his gaze to look up at him in wonder, while both Maki and Miaya, or rather Usami, looked in confusion.

"I…wanted to apologize," Makoto spoke with nothing but regret in his voice, earning a wide-eyed look from the Li'l Ultimates. "For not being here as much as before… I have no excuses."

Yes, it was true that things had started to become a lot more hectic as of late, especially since the school year began. The message that he had received barely a few days ago hadn't helped at all, but in his mind, none of those was a valid enough excuse.

He had promised his sister before traveling back here that he would do his best to help these kids, and even though he had done as best as he could in his mind it was simply not enough yet.

Especially when it came to the missing member of the group.

"What are you talking about, Aniki?!" Masaru was the first one to react with a confused look on his face, truly having no idea why someone like his big brother would be apologizing as if he had done something wrong.

"Nii-san… Did someone say something to you?" Nagisa questioned without much delay, with a gaze filled with accusation suddenly aimed at Usami, who could only cower under the gaze.

It didn't help that Kotoko followed quickly with a glare of her own.

"No, it's something that I have been thinking for a while." Makoto's words of finality, however, were enough to gather their attention once more. "I should be here more with you all. I promised, after all."

"Onii-san, we…" Kotoko tried to follow up, but she just ended up scrunching her face, almost as if she didn't know what words to say at that moment. "We don't want to be a burden to Onii-san…That's why we're fine even if it just once in a while."

It was a fear that their whole group had, after all.

For if there was something that they had all learned to treasure, to the point that it became the main subject whenever they argued with one another, it was the time that their big brother would come to play with them.

Sometimes there wasn't even enough time for that, so they just talked, they told him about their day, their week. About the things they wanted to do with him, there were simply no lies between their group and their older brother.

And they loved him for that, because he _cared_. He cared when no one else did, and he kept caring even after a whole year.

And the fear of missing that, being left alone by themselves once more, it was the nightmare that they all shared in common, even if they never talked about it, scared of the reaction they would get.

"You are _not_ a burden, none of you are!" The steel in Makoto's voice caught everyone by surprise, but hearing such a thing coming from any of them was enough to leave him in a bad mood. Not aimed at them of course, it was never aimed at them, but at those that had betrayed their trust like this.

"That's why…That's why I want your help." He continued in a soft tone while making sure to make eye contact with each of them. "So that I can be a better older brother…If you ever need anything, or if something happens…Please, don't think I won't help you."

Because that's what scared him the most right now. If there was truly someone out there calling themselves Ultimate Despair then, the last thing he wanted was for any of the kids to become a victim to the monster that was Ultimate Despair.

He managed to keep them away from Junko's reach, so there was no way in hell he would let anyone else turning them like that.

Then again, for all the horrible things Junko had done in his future, he couldn't find a fault in saving these kids. Yes, she did it simply out convenience and amusement, but at least it gave them all a fighting chance.

Nagisa, Kotoko and Masaru seemed to not know what to say for that, for when they had seen the Luckster today the last thing they thought would happen was a conversation like this. They still tried to look strong, however, blinking away the small tears that suddenly threatened to spill from the corner of their eyes.

"Makoto-nii…"

In the end, though, it was the most silent one of the group the one that acted instead, with Jataro's soft voice suddenly being heard, the boy's brown eyes still looking up firmly at Makoto's face.

"Makoto-nii… won't leave us?" He asked, almost timidly, his grip on Makoto's clothes becoming tighter without even realizing it.

"Of course not!" And the Luckster's response came out immediately and without hesitation. They had grown too much on him by now, just like everyone else from the Main Course had. "I'll always be here for all of you."

"Then…that's enough… for us." And with those words, Jataro's gaze moved once more to the floor, and before Makoto was allowed to say anything else, a chorus of agreements was the follow up from the three, now smiling children in front of him, smiles that told him of pain that no kid should ever have to experience.

Enough for them? Maybe that was actually the case.

But to him, there simply wasn't such a thing as _enough_.

* * *

With heavy steps he walked forward, gaze down as his legs dragged his body through the halls of the Elementary Division.

There wasn't much difference between these hallways and those that filled both the Reserve Course and the Main Course, to the point that he knew he would have confused the whole layout of the place if he didn't know better by now.

But with Aoi, Mahiru, and Maki distracting the Li'l Ultimates, he knew that it was now or never that he could go to that place.

Then again, with the looks he had received from the kids, something told him that they understood what he was going to do. Not a real surprise, however, considering how it involved the leader of their little group.

With one last step his body went still, and his lowered gaze moved to focus on the plain brown door in front of him, one that he was certainly familiar with, especially considering the small drawing that was supposed to symbolize the owner of said room.

It wasn't like he didn't want to see her, for he certainly did. She was as important to him as everyone else from their group, the Warrior of Hopes as they sometimes liked to call themselves, although he knew it was a name Maki wasn't very fond of.

He found it cute, however, even if the name had come from one heck of a weird rambling by the Luckster of the year above him.

But even so, he still felt more than a bit of trepidation in his body, for he knew how this kind of things usually went.

He needed to be certain however, that this so-called Ultimate Despair hadn't done anything to any of them, for he knew how easy it would be, for something like Despair to entice these kids once more…

And considering their lives, in the bottom of his heart he knew that he wouldn't be able to blame them if it happened, and that the only ones he would fault for that were the families that had failed them, and he himself for not being able to save them.

That didn't mean he would ever stop trying, however.

"Monaca-chan?" He called her name as soon as his fist knocked on the door, doing his best to keep any of such feelings away from his voice. The girl was perceptive, he knew, and he didn't need for her to get the wrong idea.

"It's open, Onii-chan!" And from the other side, a voice filled with nothing but elation answered back immediately, one that had him nodding before going through the door and closing it behind him, his eyes now catching a glimpse of a room not much different from those in the others sections of the room.

His focus never went to the room itself; however, for by now he was used to the rather simplistic approach that the owner of said room took when it came to decoration. Instead, his eyes had moved as if they had been attracted by a magnet, and his gaze had focused immediately on the green-haired girl sitting lonely in the middle of the room.

And just like he had done, the young girl had focused her attention on the newcomer of the room, with brown meeting green, and the girl giving him what he could only describe as a loving smile from her spot on her wheelchair, with the book she had been seemingly reading now resting closed on her lap.

"Welcome back, Onii-chan." The green-eyed girl spoke with a tone that easily matched her smile. He found the happiness emanating from the girl known as the Li'l Ultimate Homeroom to be contagious however, considering that a smile of his own found its way to his lips at such a sight.

"I'm back, Monaca-chan." It was a little ritual of theirs by now, one that he knew meant more for the green-haired girl than what one would normally think.

He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, leaving him as close as possible to the owner of the room, whose gaze followed him along the entire time almost as if he would disappear if she even did as much as just blinking.

"I just wanted to check on you." The Luckster explained. "You weren't with the others so I got a bit worried…"

A small giggle from the girl was his response, right before she extended her right hand towards the Luckster, an act that made him act on instinct by now, with him also moving his left hand to meet the girl, with her smaller, softer palm fitting almost perfectly on his on hand.

"Onii-chan always worried about Monaca." The girl spoke softly just as her thumb traced circles upon the Luckster's palm. "That makes Monaca really happy."

"Monaca-chan…" Makoto wasn't one to just ignore the obvious though, even if it might get an unpleasant reaction from the girl, he still knew he had to talk to her about it. "Why… why weren't you with the others? It wasn't the same without you."

His words were seemingly ignored, however, for it seemed Monaca preferred to keep her attention on their intertwined hands. He opened his mouth to ask once more, but he was beaten to the punch by the young Ultimate.

"Onii-chan didn't come alone." She said without an ounce of doubt, for she knew that for a fact. In response he could only nod slowly, after all lying would do more harm than good.

"Asahina-san and Koizumi-senpai came to help…" He explained, his gaze carefully looking at whatever reaction the green-haired girl could have. "Harukawa-san was already there too."

Monaca simply nodded along with his words, and for the first time today he saw her smile falter just as the corner of her lips twitched downwards. It was so fast he might have mistaken it for a trick of his mind if he hadn't known better.

"Onii-chan is so kind…" Monaca whispered with her head lowered, right before she retrieved her hand from Makoto's hold, with both of her hands now close to her chest. "But he's also cruel sometimes."

"Monaca-chan!" The Luckster stood up abruptly, his gaze a shocked one as he felt guilt sipping into his body as a result of the girl's words. He knew that among everyone from her group, that it was Monaca the one that hated dealing with others the most, to the point that she would rather seclude herself sometimes over having to deal with anyone that she considered dangerous.

Which by now he knew it meant everyone except him. Even her close friends, the other Li'l Ultimates, she didn't trust them completely, a fact that became more apparent with each interaction that he had with the group.

Because Towa Monaca had been rejected by the world that was supposed to keep her safe, so now she rejected the world back without hesitation and with a smile on her face, even as the rest of the Warriors of Hope slowly, but surely, tried to move forward.

He attempted to walk towards her, to assure her that he would never treat her like that, but before he was able to do such a thing it, it was Monaca herself the one that made the first move.

Because this was the Monaca that only he was allowed to see. A side of her that not even the other four kids of their group knew about, of the normally wheelchair-bound little girl slowly standing up from her seat, her legs wobbling a bit as she did but otherwise not showing any sign of being damaged at all.

And with an empty gaze on her green eyes, the Li'l Ultimate Homeroom gave one tentative step forward, followed by another not even a second later.

And then, before he even realized it, he had her head glued to his mid-section and her arms circled tightly behind his back in a tight hug, one that he found himself doing his best to reciprocate giving their height.

"Monaca loves Onii-chan more than anything else." Even though her words sounded muffled, he was still able to understand her. "But Onii-chan still prefers to be with others over Monaca."

"That's not true!" He tried his best to reassure her with his words, but the only thing he felt was the shake of her head against his clothes.

"Then…will Onii-chan stay here with me then?" Monaca raised her head to give an upward look to the Luckster, with nothing but need showing in her green orbs, almost to the point of desperation.

"Of course." And against such a look, what else could he do but to agree?

Was it the best choice? He wasn't sure for he certainly wasn't an expert, but the guilty eating him on the inside didn't allow him to even think of refusing.

Because if there was one thing that he regretted, it was the fact that he wasn't able to help any of them sooner, for by the time he had arrived back in the past, by the time he had been able to do _anything_ for them, it had already been too late.

The damage had already been done long before he even met them.

And now, the only thing he could do was to stay with them no matter what, even if it left him on the blacklist of an organization like the Towa Group.

"Anything you need, Monaca-chan. You know I'll do my best to help." He continued reassuring her with the best smile he could offer.

In return, he saw a bit of light going back into Monaca's green eyes. The young girl opened her mouth then, with more than a bit of hesitation showing in her quivering form right before she allowed herself to speak her mind.

"Then… can Monaca go live with Onii-chan?" Her request came out in a soft whisper, almost like a whimper. "Monaca promises to be good, Onii-chan, so please!"

And as always, it was a request that wrenched his heart, not because of the reasons behind it.

But because he knew that it was one he would not be able to fulfill.

And to Monaca, who by now he understood wanted nothing else than to be his family, for him to be the older brother she never really had, denying this request once more was probably the most hurtful thing he could do to her.

It killed him on the inside, but what else could he do? He knew the rules, for Monaca and the other members of the Warriors of Hope were wards of the school.

It had been the best compromise he had been able to get in order to get them away from their abusive families, and while he knew that they were more than happy to be away from their so-called families, he was also aware that they yearned for more than to just live inside the walls of Hope's Peak Academy.

And if he could, he would have given them all what they wanted a long time ago.

But he wasn't able to, at least not right now. The Headmaster had been more than adamant that if he wanted for this to work, that the kids needed to stay at Hope's Peak.

The school having the custody over them already put the school on thin ice in case anything happened to them, so if words got around that they were living with a student no less, the consequences could put them all in jeopardy.

Especially considering how the Steering Committee was trying to find anything to take the Headmaster's position away from one Kirigiri Jin.

"Monaca-chan, I…" He tried to find the right words, for he could already see the pain of rejection starting to show once more on the girl's face. Each time he came to her, each time she made that request and he denied it, it always made a dent in his resolve.

And with everything that was happening around him, said resolve could barely even take anything else, let alone the pleading look of the girl.

"How about…" He started slowly while rubbing the top of the girl's face in an attempt at soothing her. It had always worked with Komaru after all. "How about you come and stay the weekend?"

"R-really?!" It actually took a few seconds for Monaca to process what she had just heard, but when she did her face light up in a way that the Luckster rarely ever saw.

Sure, it wasn't what Monaca had asked, but for the girl that wanted nothing but her _real_ brother's attention, it was more than what she could have hoped for.

"Of course!" A grin quickly appeared on his lips at seeing her in such a state. That child-like happiness that he wanted to protect. "I'll come to pick you up on Friday, I promise!"

He knew he would have to talk about it with not only his parents but with the Headmaster himself, but he was sure that they would be able to come to an agreement.

Kotoko, Masaru, Nagisa, Jataro and Monaca, they had all already been through so much in his eyes.

And as the girl spilled tears of happiness on his shirt while repeatedly muttering 'thank you' over and over, he could only think about how there wasn't anything wrong with them being selfish from time to time.

* * *

"You know I appreciate it and all…But you sure you're alright there?" Hinata Hajime asked in obvious worry as he gave the Luckster to his side a frown, one that was met with a half-smile from Makoto's end.

"Yeah, I just…wanted to spend some time here." The Luckster spoke right before a yawn left his lips, one that only had the student of the Reserve Course shaking his head.

"You look like you need a bed, not the floor." He commented as they both sat right outside Hajime's classroom, with multiple students from the Reserve Course walking by in front of them, most of them greeting the tired Luckster as soon as they walked past them.

"Its fine, really!" It really wasn't, especially with how he had stayed with the Warriors of Hope until classes had ended. It took more goading that he would have liked, but he had been able to convince Monaca to join the others alongside him, albeit only after the Ultimates of the Main Course had left for class.

He would need to ask Kyoko about what things they saw in class today, something that only made him more tired just by thinking about it.

"C'mon Makoto, at least close your eyes for a bit. You look like you're about to pass out or something." The genuine concern in Hajime's voice was enough to make the Luckster's shoulder sag, for he knew that the taller teen was right, he did feel as if he would fall asleep at any second now.

But even so, was it so bad that he just wanted to make sure that the older ahoge-boy was fine? Without the videos, and after making sure that there was nothing strange, or at least more than usual, on the Elementary Division, he had just wanted to make sure that Hinata Hajime was still, well, _Hinata Hajime_.

It was dumb paranoia, he knew, for he had stopped the teen from going along with that Project, but even so he had just wanted to calm his worries even if it was just a bit.

Now though, he needed to think of a new approach if he wanted to get any answers before it was too late.

Hajime's idea though, certainly didn't sound so bad at the moment…

"I mean, I'm sure Nanami would say the same if sh-" Whatever words were about to leave Hajime's lips would forever remain a mystery, for the brown-haired teen was forced to stop once he felt a sudden weight pressed on his shoulder.

He blinked confusedly before slowly turning his head to the side, just to end up looking at the sleeping figure of the Ultimate Lucky Student, who certainly looked comfortable with using his shoulder as a pillow.

The giggles and snickers from some of the students that walked by only made Hajime's ears go red in embarrassment, a glare appearing on his eyes aimed at anyone that was mocking him, although considering that he still had the Luckster resting on his shoulder it didn't have as much effect as he would have liked.

He opened his mouth, more than ready to berate the younger ahoge-boy over things that would lead to misunderstandings, but as soon as his eyes fell on the peaceful face of his sleeping friend he ended up just not being able to do anything but to sigh, with a fond look slowly appearing on his face not long after that, one that was aimed at the resting Ultimate.

Sure, it was embarrassing as hell, but he supposed he could give the little guy some leeway this time around. He certainly deserved it in his opinion.

Besides, what was the worst that could ha-

 _Flash_

He blinked once more, his previous content face slowly morphing into one of horror just as he turned his face around, his gaze quickly meeting the one of the girl standing in front of him, or rather, the device that she was holding on her hand.

"Nanami." He called to her, to which the Ultimate Gamer simply tilted her head slightly in response. "Delete that, _now_."

A silent shake of her head was the only response he got.

"Why not!?" He hissed in a whisper, doing his best to not wake the sleeping teen to his side.

And in response, she once again stood silent while her fingers repeatedly touched the screen of her phone. Then, without warning, she turned it around and trusted it towards Hajime, allowing him to see the screen properly.

Or rather, the image that the girl had seemingly decided to use as her new wallpaper.

As for Hajime, he found himself doing the best interpretation of a goldfish that anyone had ever seen at seeing the picture of a sleeping Makoto resting on his shoulder while he had a rather pleased expression on his own face.

"Hinata-kun." And then the Ultimate Gamer kneeled in front of him, and without warning she took his free hand into both of hers, leaving him both more confused and embarrassed that he had ever been in his life.

That only lasted for a couple of seconds, however.

"Would you be fine with sharing him?" The serious way in which Nanami Chiaki asked her question left little to no room for one Hinata Hajime to confuse her request with anything else but _that_.

It was a testament to how tired Makoto was, however, for not even the loud shriek that left Hajime's mouth was enough to shake him from his slumber

* * *

"Could they stop the screaming? Geez." Some people were just so rude, that much he knew. As if having to hide in a closet was it enough he now also had to deal with the noise?

He needed a break. Couldn't anyone see that the MC was about to meet with America's King?!

"Are?" His vision was cut short, however, once the light of his flashlight suddenly died on him.

He tried to shake it to no avail, but in the end, he was left all alone in the dark, with nothing but a sense of defeat on his form.

This was Makoto's fault somehow, Yasuke decided that day.

* * *

Green eyes watched impassively at the ceiling of her room, while her body simply rested on her own bed, with one of her arms on her chest while the other one was dangling from the edge of the bed to the point that she could almost touch the floor.

A small sigh left her lips, right before the memories of her day swarmed her mind once more. She couldn't help but smile at the thought, for in her heart any day that she could spend with her dear Onii-chan was a perfect one.

Her dear, wonderful, kind and brave Onii-chan. Her _only_ family, and the only one she would ever need.

A content sigh left her lips. She truly couldn't wait to go to his home. It would be a good practice, she had decided, to learn how it would be to live with him. She felt all giddy just thinking about that, to the point that she couldn't even hold the giggle that escaped her.

She loved him, she loved him so much that it hurt, and she wanted nothing more than his love in return.

But it truly hurt, knowing that she wasn't the only one in his heart. Didn't that make her replaceable? She didn't want to be replaceable; she just wanted her Onii-chan to look at her, to smile at her, to praise her to love her!

And _only_ her.

But she knew it couldn't be, at least not right now. Her Onii-chan was too kind to everyone that much she knew. She would never change that part of him, for it was what she loved so much about him.

That didn't mean that she had to like for everyone to try and take her Onii-chan away from her.

She didn't, she _hated_ it, and every one of her _friends_ knew that.

That's why she was the only one that could call him Onii-chan.

Because he was _her_ older brother.

So she truly couldn't wait.

Not only to live with him.

But to live in a world in which there was only her dear Onii-chan and her.

They needed no one else, she _didn't_ want anyone else. Just the two of them was more than perfect and everything that she needed.

She knew he wouldn't understand at first, but she was sure she would be able to convince him. He would never say no to her, after all.

So she would _make_ this ideal world, a paradise just for the two.

And with such thought, she suddenly felt a pair of stubby, round pieces of metal grabbing her hand from below her bed.

She couldn't help but smile even more.

She quickly closed her hand around the metallic object, and without much effort, she brought it close to her face, with both of her hands holding it by its armpits.

A metallic little bear of white and green, she still didn't know why someone had decided to approach her with such a thing, but she wasn't going to complain.

For whoever had sent it had promised her the world that she desired so much.

She didn't care what she had to do, as long as she got what she wanted.

Her perfect world, with her perfect Onii-chan by her side…

She smiled once more, and she hugged the small bear to her chest.

She truly couldn't wait.

Fortunately for her, it would begin very, _very_ soon.

* * *

 **I'll admit, I didn't expect to push out this chapter so soon, but what can I say? I really wanted to write it.**

 **The long awaited arrival of the Warrios of Hope. I'm sure a lot were left wanting for more, either in interactions or in their past with Makoto. That is for later though, for if I tried to cram up that much chapter would be way longer for my taste.**

 **Sorry to Mahiru fans, I feel that she got the short end of the stick here even though I really like her. She was there for a reason, however, so wait for that in the future.**

 **Monaca was the star of the chapter, and such is the route I decided to take when it came to these kids. A broken group and a time-traveler that wants to help them but doesn't know how to with more than enough obsession on Monaca's part.**

 **The Warriors of Hope are sure to receive a flashback chapter just like Hajime and Nagito in the future, just not right now.**

 **For a moment I honestly thought no one would nail the V3 character. There were some interesting guess, to say the least, but it was the user McdrilaX the one that guessed correctly, so congrats! Now whoever can tall me what LN Yasuke was reading gets another cookie.**

 **I apologize of the Li'l Ultimates seem OOC. I'll admit that when it comes to Despair Girl's characters, they aren't my strong suit.**

 **Also, since I just suck at describing clothes, just picture (or rather, google) the clothes o FFIII's Monk, White Mage and Magus for Aoi, Mahiru and Maki respectively, while Makoto has the might of the Onion Knight.**

 **As always, thank you all for having read this far, and thank you for the amount of follows, favs, PMs and of course reviews. We just reached 200 and I definitely appreciate each one of them.**

 **Next Chapter: Royal Blondes.**


	15. Declaration Of Intent

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama.**

 **Special Omake at the end!**

 **Chapter 13**

 **Declaration Of Intent**

"This…this can't be good…"

Strange sights were the norm in his life.

At one point he had simply learned to roll with most of them, knowing that any question he would have about the matter would either be answered or just completely ignored.

Whether the situation was brought up because of his luck, or because of the Ultimates surrounding him, by now he could say for certain that he had gotten better at taking things in a stride.

For one of the advantages that he had was that most of said situation tended to happen inside the walls of Hope's Peak Academy.

That meant that he could always steel his heart before setting a foot on that school, to prepare his wit before the inevitable elephant that was Hope's Peak daily happenings came to stomp him.

…Some days the elephant was even literal.

But just like they said, there was always an exception to the norm.

And today' said exception just turned out to be resting right outside of his house.

And as brown eyes looked from side to side while trying to decipher the complex code in front of him, his ears were able to catch on the whispers from his neighbors, who apparently deemed the situation worthy enough of their comments.

Then again, he was aware that there was a bet going on among them as to how long his house would last before it got set on fire.

He certainly hoped such a thing wouldn't happen today, for he knew it would become nothing short of an international scandal.

Cold sweat broke on the Luckster's brow right before his body moved on nothing but impulse towards the door of his house.

For if there was at least something that Naegi Makoto could do with ease, it was basic math.

And last time he checked, his family owned no limousines.

However, there were now two different limousines parked right in front of his house.

That was two limousines too many.

How they were able to fit both in such a narrow street was beyond him.

Not like such a thing worried him at the moment.

No, the only thing worrying him just as he opened the door to his home was if his house would be remembered in the history books as the place in which World War 3 started.

* * *

"Onii-chan, you're back!"

His second sign of trouble that evening ended up being the presence of his own little sister.

For instead of the usual, high-spirited greeting he normally got from her, this time her voice held nothing but a quivering distraught. Her gaze even shook as soon as it met his own, almost as if she was going to start spilling tears of relief at any second now.

Her greeting even came in a hushed whisper, and she even glued herself to his arm as if such a thing would protect her from whatever menace had taken their living room hostage.

Oh, and she was also wearing a kitchen strainer on her head as some sort of make-shift helmet, with even her ahoge popping out from one of the holes.

That one probably gave it away more than anything else in retrospective.

"W-what is it…?" He asked in the same hushed tone as his little sister, even though something inside of him told her he should be asking about _who_ rather than _what_.

The only response he received was that of Komaru slowly dragging him towards the living room with such a level of care to not make any noise that one would think being heard meant an imminent death.

And then the younger girl simply pressed herself to the wall and slowly took a peek from the corner that he knew led to the living room of the building.

He easily took the hint and followed her action soon after.

And it less than a second he understood firmly just how bad the current situation was.

For even though he truly cared for the two individuals sitting on opposite sides of his living room, there was no denying that right now, in his eyes, they didn't even look _human_.

No, they looked like nothing but sheer forces of nature simply as a result of the clash that their gazes made against one another.

He could have sworn even his mind was playing tricks to him, for he was sure that he could even see a blue-eyed white Dragon growling on one side, while the other held an army of golden Knights framed by dozens of blades, with both beings sizing up the other, waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

"Woof!"

And said opportunity came as soon as the albino dog resting on one of the duo's lap suddenly barked on his own direction, seemingly alerting the blonde couple of his presence.

"Welcome home, Makoto-san."

"You sure took your time, Naegi."

And right there he was greeted by the Ultimate Princess, Sonia Nevermind, and the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy, Togami Byakuya.

And something told the Luckster that the chill that went down his spine at that moment was only matched by the one also traveling down his sister's back.

* * *

It was in moments like this that he truly understood what people meant when they said that the tension in the air could be cut with a knife.

He sat as still as a board, his hands keeping a hold on his knees just as he kept his gaze glued to the floor while cold sweat still went down his forehead, a shaky smile filling his lips at the same time.

Against his better judgment however, he ended up slowly raising his head and turning his eyes to his left, allowing him to take a look at the individual sitting on the couch to the left of the table resting on the middle of the living room.

He himself was sitting on the couch right in front of the table itself, allowing him to properly keep his eyes in pretty much the entire room.

And as soon as his gaze turned left, it was as if the sun itself had decided to fill his entire body with nothing but warmness.

For sitting on his couch was a figure that could only be described as beautiful. He wasn't sure if it was the regal aura which she released just with the way she sat, the kindness in her blue eyes aimed directly at him or the lovely smile that was planted on her lips.

The only thing he knew was that he couldn't keep looking at her for more than five seconds before being forced to lower his gaze once more. He knew that someone like the Ultimate Princess was on a whole different level than him, but it normally wasn't this bad!

There was something else today with his blonde senpai, that much he was certain of. It was even worse for his own sister, however, who sat quietly to his side while hugging her knees to her chest and muttering about traitorous pets.

It probably had to do with how happy their pup looked on Sonia's lap.

With his gaze lowered once more this time he decided to look at his right, just to check on the other resident of his living room.

And in contrast with the warmness that he had felt before, this time it was as if a sudden snowstorm had hit his body with vengeance. He almost shivered at the spot just as a result of being the target of the frozen cold eyes of the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy.

It was as if the blonde was trying to decipher his very own soul, to the point that the Luckster almost felt as if he was naked under a spotlight.

While he was certainly used to his classmate's rather sharp gaze, wasn't this too much too?!

Maybe being on the receiving end of just one of such looks would something that he could handle, but against the two? No wonder Komaru had been so alarmed.

He certainly knew how much of a…character, Byakuya could be.

And while he definitely had nothing against Sonia, he couldn't deny just how…intense her presence could be sometimes. He had certainly gotten used to it, even if the necessity of kneeling still popped up from time to time, but he was well aware of the phobia Komaru was developing towards princesses of all things.

He knew, however, especially by the way Komaru kept throwing glances at him from the side, that he was supposed to say something right about now.

So with a light cough on his fist that drew everyone's attention, even though he already had it from the start, he directed the first thing he could think off to the older Ultimate in the room.

"I didn't know you were returning today, Sonia-senpai!" He spoke with a shaky smile, true wonder sipping from his tone as he did his best to keep eye contact with the obviously delighted blonde. "I thought you were coming back by the end of the week…"

"I wanted to make it a surprise." Sonia answered with the greatest of ease, her head tilting slightly to the side while she kept her hands busy by stroking the fur of the small dog on her lap. "I…needed to do this without interference, after all."

The Luckster certainly didn't miss the way Sonia's gaze moved towards her fellow blonde right at the end of her words.

Byakuya certainly didn't miss it if the snort that left him was any indication.

Makoto still felt more than a bit lost on the matter at hand, however, for as far as he knew the Ultimate Princess was supposed to visit her Kingdom until the end of the week, or at least that's what the blonde had told him before leaving last week.

He could only hope that things had gone without any complications. She never did tell him about why she was going back, and the last thing that he wanted was another sudden excursion to the Princess' Kingdom.

"Do what exactly?" The time-traveler continued, his words turning Sonia's previous smile into an expression that told him that whatever it was, it was a serious matter.

It immediately made him tense up, his mind already wondering if anything wrong had happened.

"I…actually wanted to talk with your parents, Makoto-san."

Her declaration simply made him blink in response, his gaze then moving to meet the one of his little sister, who simply shrugged in response.

"Wait… where are my parents?" The sudden thought that the two older members of the Naegi household weren't present finally dawned on the Luckster.

"H-He got rid of them!" His only answer to his doubt was for Komaru to suddenly point at Byakuya while declaring such, the suddenness of her words making the Luckster's eyes to go wide while the blonde in question simply rolled in his eyes.

"I sent them to a free dinner on a restaurant even more expensive than this house." Byakuya explained with ease, getting Makoto to release a breath he didn't even know he was holding. "They didn't even think twice before accepting."

"Traitors." Makoto certainly heard the reproach coming out from Komaru's lip, and in the girl's defense what else could she think after her parents left her to fend by herself against these two?!

"Thank you…I think." Deciding to ignore how he was starting to sound like the Ultimate Gamer, Makoto simply frowned at his blonde classmate. "But…why?"

"I would like to know that too, Togami-san." And right behind his own question was Sonia's, who simply kept a neutral face now that she was looking at the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy, who returned said look with nothing but a smirk.

"Don't think you can fool me, Nevermind." Byakuya declared while crossing his arms over his chest. "You are awfully naïve if you really thought no one would intervene."

"So you knew I was coming here today." What came out of Sonia's lips wasn't a question but rather a simple statement.

"Of course I did. Nothing happens in this city without me knowing."

"And you found the need to interrupt us?"

"It would be too easy if I left you to your own devices."

And as the conversation between the two blondes progressed, Naegi Makoto found himself more lost with each second that passed, his eyes moving from side to side with such a speed that one would think he was watching a game of tennis.

"W-what are they talking about, Onii-chan?" Komaru pulled on his sleeve to get his attention, but the only thing he could do was to open his mouth slightly before closing it once more, his mind still trying to come to terms with whatever the reason for the sudden visit was.

"Your presence here then… I'm supposed to assume that you object?" The debate, however, ended once a small sigh left Sonia's lips, right before she threw her question towards Byakuya, who kept a steady gaze on the Princess before simply shaking his head while one of his hands moved to adjust the glasses resting on his face.

"Do whatever you want, Nevermind." Byakuya spoke right before raising from his seat. "I know how this family works so I just decided to not let you have everything so easily."

And without warning the blonde simply started walking out of the room, presumably towards his own room if the way he was walking upstairs was any indication to the Luckster.

"Naegi." Even so, Byakuya still found it on him to leave a few parting words, his blue eyes easily matching Makoto's confused brown ones.

"We're having a talk after this." The way in which the Togami heir spoke left no doubt that it wasn't a request, but rather an order, one that had the Luckster simply nodding dumbly to the retreating blue-eyed Ultimate.

Turning his gaze back to the remaining Ultimate in the room besides him, he was once more graced by a smile from the Princess, one that for reasons beyond him was leaving him far more nervous than usual.

"If it is something private then…" He spoke in wonder, still feeling more than a bit lost but knowing that if even Byakuya had decided to exclude himself then it had to be something important, which was why he found himself throwing a sideglance look at Komaru.

However, the look that his sister gave him in return told him that there was no way she was leaving. If it was because she didn't want to leave him alone or because she herself didn't want to be alone in a house that still had Byakuya in it, it was anyone's guess.

"That won't be necessary." However, Sonia was quick to ease his concern with another smile right before taking a deep, calming breath, almost as if she was doing her best to steel her nerves.

It honestly just made the Luckster even more worried.

Then, Sonia slowly raised her body from her seat while carefully putting the small Shiba-Inu that had been resting on her lap on the floor.

And with slow, almost shy steps, the blonde Princess came to a stop right in front of him, something that forced him to stand up from his seat without even realizing it, confused brown meeting blue eyes that were showing way too many emotions for the Luckster to name them all.

Happiness, excitement, melancholy, nervousness, fear, there were so many things behind those pools of crystal blue that he almost felt as if he would get lost on them if he tried to decipher them all.

Luckily, he didn't have to, considering that he was promptly distracted by the sudden feeling of Sonia's soft hands grabbing his owns and bringing them right between them.

"S-Sonia-senpai?" He could feel the heat reaching his cheeks by such an action, but his obvious embarrassment did nothing but earn a small giggle from the older girl that had a hold on his hands.

"I first wanted to thank you, actually…" Sonia began slowly, a tint of pink covering her cheeks right before the corners of her lips tugged upwards into a bigger smile, with the look of her eyes telling anyone that whatever was crossing her mind was a precious memory.

"I wouldn't be able to be here and keep studying with everyone if it wasn't for you, after all." The Princess continued as soon as she noticed the confusion mixed in with the embarrassment clearly showing on her Luckster's face. "So for that, I still can't be thankful enough."

"But that was-" A finger on his lips silenced whatever complains the Luckster was about to raise, courtesy of course of Sonia, who saw it coming from a mile away.

It wasn't the first time they had a similar exchange, after all.

"You helped me convince Father, Makoto-san. Without you, that wouldn't have been possible."

He certainly remembered how his little excursion to the Kingdom of Novoselic had ended. One tended to not forget about having to act as a Princess' fake fiancée, after all.

"You also helped stop the growing rebellion that came out of nowhere."

He decided to not comment on how said rebellion had been just a massive misunderstanding caused by more than a couple of their own classmates, something told him that it was the best, for everyone's sake.

…That reminded him how they still owed Byakuya a plane. The one he had ended up exploding, after all.

"Our Kingdom still hails you as the legendary Hero."

He had been forced to ditch his hoodie during the trip, leaving him only with a white shirt. Suffice to say, he had never gotten so much attention from complete strangers before. At least he had stopped them from building that weird statue.

"Father and Mother love you already."

There wasn't much he could say to that one. They were a nice couple.

"And you even helped me rescue the royal Golden Makango."

'Rescue' was a big word when it came to what happened, he decided. The poor thing had pretty much jumped on his arms the first chance that it got.

Not that he blamed it or anything…

Celestia Ludenberg could be _really_ scary when she tried.

"And that's why I…well…" Suddenly it seemed that Sonia found herself struggling to find the right words to express her thoughts, something that simply had the Luckster wondering where all of this was going in the first place.

Not that being praised by someone like the Ultimate Princess wasn't already quite the experience, but it was obviously leading to something else.

It seemed he would get his answer soon enough though, for after taking another deep breath, the blonde in front of him gave him another look, this time one filled with nothing but determination, right before she finally moved to release the hold that she had on his hands.

"I planned to do this with your parents first, but…" Sonia bit her lip right before moving her gaze to the side, or to be more precise aiming her blue eyes at the other member of the Naegi family sitting on the couch to the Luckster's side.

Komaru's increasingly amazed look turned into one of alarm as soon as she became the target of said look. Being at the end of that smile already made her more nervous than anything else!

"My parents?" Makoto asked, to which Sonia simply nodded resolutely.

"I have investigated the customs of this country," Sonia explained before moving to stand in front of the still wary Komaru. "So I know what had to be done first."

That sentence itself was enough to send more than a couple of alarms ringing in his head.

But before he was able to react, the damage had already been done.

Damage to both his and Komaru's psyche, that is, for it certainly wasn't every day that you had the Ultimate Princess kneeling right in front you while looking up with nothing but earnest shinning in her gaze,

Suffice to say, Komaru found herself thrown out of a loop just with that one.

It became somehow worse once Sonia's forehead touched the floor in a bow so deep that Makoto himself could count with one hand the number of times he himself had done such a thing.

However, the killing blow was, without a doubt, the polite words that escaped Sonia's lips right at that very moment.

"Komaru-san, I want to ask for your blessing in pursuing a romantic relationship between Makoto-san and me."

And at that moment, Naegi Makoto was more than sure that he heard the sound of something _breaking_.

He didn't know if it was his own sense of normality, at least whatever remained of that one, or maybe it was Komaru's, but he was more than sure that his own brain had decided to stop working momentarily after hearing those words.

Not that it was any better for the younger Naegi, for the stress of the day, alongside the unbelievable sight of a Princess no less bowing in front of her and asking such a thing was simply too much for the ahoge-girl.

Credits to her though, she at least lasted a couple of seconds before promptly passing out on the spot.

"Komaru!"

* * *

A sigh left his lips, his shoulders sagging just as he closed the door to his sister's room. It definitely wasn't his first time carrying her unconscious form back to her room, but it normally was because she ended up falling asleep either in his room or on the living room.

Passing out made things a bit more worrying on that regard.

"I'm sorry about that." And waiting for him right outside his sister's bedroom was the one that could be considered responsible for Komaru's current condition, with the Ultimate Princess in question looking down in shame at doing such a thing to his sister no less.

"It's fine, I'm sure it was just the shock…" The Luckster himself could only scratch the back of his neck awkwardly, truly not being able to look at the older Ultimate.

It was a bit hard to considering he had just received one heck of a confession from the young woman herself.

"I meant what I said though." It seemed Sonia didn't want to leave any doubt between them whatsoever though, for she suddenly looked at him with an honest smile on her face. "I just…thought this would be the best way to go about it… but your parents weren't here so I…"

"I-I understand." He actually didn't, but he knew that someone like Sonia definitely didn't mean for anything bad to happen.

He could only wonder about where she had even gotten that idea in the first place. Sure, he knew that there were some people that it still did it like that, but now he was really glad that his parents hadn't been home.

He could only imagine how that scenario would have gone.

"B-but, Sonia-senpai…" He spoke awkwardly, the ramifications that the actions and words of the Ultimate Princess brought now truly setting themselves on his mind.

Suffice to say, he was in shock in more ways than one.

But to the blonde watching him carefully, such a reaction was to be expected in her opinion. Naegi Makoto was simply that kind of young man, one that after putting hours of research she had been able to finally label properly.

He was, as a certain fellow from her same year had not so kindly put it when she had asked, _dense_.

And it was such a key factor that had made her go with a more _traditional_ approach.

That, and the fact that such approach seemed to work just fine in the couple of literature pieces that she had found herself immersed with thanks to her classmates.

Such were the wonders of manga, she supposed.

But in the end, Sonia Nevermind was a determined young woman.

She was a Princess and future Queen of the Kingdom of Novoselic.

A future Queen had to be decisive. A future Queen couldn't go around second-guessing herself or wondering about 'what ifs'.

For the longest time, she had been more than happy by simply living for the sake of her Kingdom and nothing else. She had been ready ever since she was a child.

But now? Now that she truly wanted something, or rather _someone_ , for herself? A desire that she harbored not as Novoselic's Princess, but rather just as a woman in love. Was it that much of a surprise that she wanted to hold to that someone and never let go?

Was it so bad that she wanted to be a bit selfish, just this once?

Her heart had been in doubt for far too long, but after her last trip to her Kingdom, she knew what she wanted without a shadow of a doubt.

So when the object of her affection started to lowly mumble, there was only one thing she knew she could do to ease his troubled mind.

Without saying anything she moved closer towards him, not the closest that the two had been, but definitely more than enough to have his eyes go wide in surprise.

And before he knew it she had her palm resting on his right cheek.

And without hesitation, she drew herself even closer.

The next thing he felt was another soft sensation on his other cheek, courtesy of the blonde's lips suddenly making contact with him.

To say he was left stunned would be an understatement.

"You told me that I could be selfish when it was between the two of us…" Sonia whispered just as she retreated back, albeit without moving her hand from the Luckster's burning face. "I think you spoiled me too much when you told me that."

He definitely remembered saying something along those lines a long time ago, but he could have never imagined that it would lead to something like _this_.

"It isn't like I'm going to demand an answer right away." Sonia suddenly declared just as she retracted her hand from the Luckster, with sadness suddenly sipping in both her gaze and tone. "I just…with this being my last year…I didn't want to have any regrets."

That was something he truly did understand, for just knowing that by the end of the year all of his senpais would be graduating was enough to make his heart ache in sorrow. He could only imagine how much worse someone like Sonia had it, considering that he knew the chances of her meeting anyone after graduating would be pretty slim.

Not that he would ever let her become a stranger or just a memory. He certainly hadn't planned for that before, and now that she had bared her heart to him it was practically impossible for him to allow such a thing to happen.

But first… first he had to protect her last year, to make sure that it was one that she, alongside everyone else, would always look back with fondness.

And not one filled with the nightmare that was Despair.

"Sorry…" So, in the end, he could only offer a low whisper in response, truly feeling horrible about not being able to give her a proper response. His head was a mess right now, and the last thing that he wanted to do was to give her a half-assed answer to her feelings like that.

Romance had been the last thing that had crossed his mind on the past two years. It wasn't something that he was particularly good at, after all, especially when he had been forced to bury old feelings that he had.

His priorities had been somewhere else, to say the least.

"It's alright, Makoto-san." And as if to show that she was taking it on a stride, the Ultimate Princess raised her arm while putting her other hand on top of it. "But you still shouldn't make a girl wait. I might curse you if you do."

To his wide-eyed look, Sonia simple chuckled once more, this time actually dragging a rather small smile from the Luckster's lips.

"Besides…" A sudden seriousness took over the blonde's expression, with her eyes seeming to look right behind him. "I think he isn't going to wait for much longer."

To such words the only thing he could do was to turn his head around, easily allowing him to catch a glimpse of the scowling blonde standing behind him right beside the door to his room.

With the current events, he had honestly forgotten about his classmate, something that made him smile sheepishly at the obviously not amused Togami heir.

* * *

"Did you…hear us?"

"Even if I hadn't, it was obvious enough what she was going to do."

"It was?!" Perplexed, the Luckster asked, for he certainly had not expected for Sonia's sudden visit to result in such a way. The way Byakuya spoke, however, left it quite clear that he wasn't surprised on the slightest.

"Not my fault you're too blind to notice such an obvious thing." Byakuya's biting response only had the time-traveler looking down at the floor of his room with a bit of shame dancing through his eyes. Had he not paid enough attention that it still seemed so bizarre to even think about it?

It wasn't every day that someone like his blonde senpai, the Princess of an actual country no less, pretty much told you that she had feelings for you, after all. If it wasn't because Byakuya was here he would have thought that it was just a really weird dream.

A weird and really scary dream if he had to be honest, even if his heart still refused to calm itself down.

"I didn't come here to waste my time talking about Nevermind." Byakuya continued without missing a beat, however. "So you better don't let yourself be distracted by that woman while you're on my presence, Naegi."

…He decided to think that those words were just Byakuya's way of telling him to not worry so much about it right now.

"Why coming here then…?" If it wasn't because of their senpai then, what reason could Byakuya have? The blonde wasn't one to just pay visits, after all, but whenever he did it wasn't just to spend time playing catch-up.

Rather, the Togami heir preferred to simply have him dragged into whatever the blonde needed.

"Tell me, Naegi." And with Byakuya's voice taking a turn into the threatening side, Makoto could only do his best to match the glare he was receiving at the moment. "How many times have I told you that you fail miserably when it comes to lying?"

"…More than I can remember." Sure, he knew that he was far from the best at hiding things, but he would like to believe that he had gotten better at it considering the things that he had been forced to hide from everyone.

Byakuya seemed to disagree, however, if the way the blonde had described him as an open book several times in the past was any indication.

"And yet you keep trying to lie to my face, or rather the monkey's face."

He didn't know if the fact that by now he knew Byakuya was referring to Mondo whenever he said monkey was a good thing or not.

"I don't know what you-"

"I have let you keep to yourself whatever secret dealings you have had with the Headmaster before." The Ultimate Affluent Prodigy declared while looking down as the Luckster of his class. "But I'm tired of that coming from you."

"So, care to explain yourself?"

The air of finality that followed the blue-eyed heir word's was actually enough to make the ahoge-boy more than a bit nervous, for even though he knew that Togami Byakuya could be described as quite the curious person whenever something actually caught his interest, he still hadn't expected such a confrontation to happen like this.

"I-I'm sorry, Togami-kun…" But even if it was unexpected, the answer that came out of his lips was still the same as always, with a shake of his head following his words.

Such an answer did not amuse the Togami heir in the slightest.

"You speak as if I would reveal whatever you're hiding to everyone." Makoto didn't know how, but he was sure Byakuya's voice had become even colder somehow. "Unless the Headmaster has a way of keeping an eye on you in your own bedroom, I see no reason for you to not share it with _me_."

"It isn't about the Headmaster…" The Luckster struggled to find the right words, both knowing that making Byakuya drop the subject wouldn't be easy and that lying wouldn't work very well. "I just…this is something I need to handle by myself."

That much he could honestly say that it wasn't a lie, especially considering the obvious leak of information that there was if there was someone out there knowing his secret of all things.

"Hearing that from someone that likes to preach about working together, aren't you quite the hypocrite, Naegi?" Byakuya's words felt like someone had hit him straight to his face, for he truly couldn't deny what the blonde had said.

Was he being a hypocrite? Most likely.

Would that make him change his ways right now?

Well…

"I think if someone can understand it, its Togami-kun." Makoto spoke carefully while making sure to keep an eye for whatever reaction his fellow student of class 78 could have. "There are some things that I need to do by myself so that everyone can keep being together like we are right now."

He knew he was being stubborn, but with an unknown enemy around him, who knew what sort of consequences would it bring if he were to tell anyone about his situation?

Would he be putting a target on their back?

What if it somehow spread and it reached Junko of all people? One Ultimate Despair with apparent knowledge of the future was bad enough, the last thing he needed was Junko becoming even more of a threat.

However, if his words actually reached Byakuya he sure didn't show any sign of it, and instead simply kept glaring against his own resolute gaze, for he knew that showing weakness in front of someone like the Togami heir was nothing short of a mistake.

The staring match, however, wasn't meant to last very long, for before he even got the time to say anything else Byakuya had simply shaken his head before turning around abruptly.

"It seems you are at least growing a spine." Makoto blinked, not knowing if to take that as a compliment or not. "It doesn't matter anyway, I'll get my answers soon enough."

"W-wait, that's it?" In the back of his head he felt stupid for asking such a question, but considering that the blonde was suddenly taking his leave from his room, he just wasn't able to stop himself.

The Byakuya he knew was a _lot_ pushier than this, after all.

Wasn't this just too…easy?

Had he passed out too after hearing Sonia's words and was this all just some sort of dream?

"I don't have the time to deal with your stubbornness all night, Naegi," Byakuya explained as if it was the most obvious thing on the world. "And I have my ways. Whatever the Headmaster and you are hiding, I'll know it soon enough even if you don't tell me."

Those words left room to plenty of scary possibilities, but the Luckster knew that pushing more on the subject would be an attempt at courting death itself.

"Togami-kun." One last doubt still plagued his mind, however, for even though he knew how the blonde could be when something interested him, he still wanted to make sure. "Why do you care so much about this…?"

Another glance from clear blue eyes was his answer, followed by a simple and yet firm statement.

"Because it concerns you."

* * *

"I thought you would be gone by now, Nevermind." Blue orbs met their equal just as the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy walked out of the Naegi household, his gaze steady as he carefully looked at the Ultimate Princess seemingly waiting for him right outside of the modest house.

"I wanted to confirm some things first, Togami-san." Sonia spoke in a neutral tone, by now used to dealing with someone as difficult as the Togami heir.

"Say your piece then, we don't have all night." It was obvious that the younger blonde just wanted to ditch her already, but she would be damned if she left with no answers.

"How did you know what I was going to do?" She didn't even bother asking how he knew that she had arrived earlier, for it was like he had said. It was difficult for something to happen in this country without the Togami Empire knowing it.

But still, her intentions should have been only for her and her alone to know.

"Ho? You think yourself too smart for your own good." A smirk filled with superiority appeared on Byakuya's face, one that Sonia couldn't help but find unpleasant. "Naegi might be too much of an idiot to do his research on your traditions, but I'm not."

His implications didn't escape her grasp, something that showed the moment her gaze narrowed.

"So you're aware of…"

"Of course I am." Sonia found no need to hide it if he knew, just like how Byakuya found to reason to hide that he was already aware. "What a troublesome tradition your people have."

"Why not stop me then? If you knew about it then, you obviously don't like me enough or else you wouldn't have intervened, but you still left me alone with him." The Princess decided to ignore the jab at her people in favor of getting some answers. In her mind, the heir's actions simply made no sense if he wanted to keep the Luckster away from her.

"On contraire, Nevermind." His smirk got somehow bigger if that was even possible. "I actually approve of you quite a bit."

"I beg your pardon?" A carefully raised eyebrow was Sonia's response.

"It's no secret that Naegi's list of suitors isn't what one would call _short_." It was more than obvious that the Togami heir found amusement in the way the Princess became tenser at being remembered that she wasn't the only one with particular feelings towards the Luckster in question. "So you should feel glad, for among the bunch of idiots we call classmates you're the only one that has _my_ blessing."

It actually took Sonia more than a couple of seconds to understand the fact that, at the end of things, she was pretty much being praised by _Togami Byakuya_ of all people.

She didn't know if to feel glad or utterly disturbed by such a fact.

"And yet… you still meddled too much."

"I can't have you messing too much with Naegi just yet, he still has his uses after all." This time it was a frown what made itself present on Byakuya's face. "I have already made quite the investment in him, so I can't have you ruining that for me just yet."

The blonde decided to skip the part in which he still had an ace up on his sleeve to properly tie one Naegi Makoto to him, in the form of certain other Togami attending at Hope's Peak.

But that was neither here or there.

"Makoto-san always defends you whenever someone badmouths you, you know? He truly considered you a good friend." To say that the Princess was displeased by the apparent way in which her fellow blonde saw her Luckster would be an understatement. "And yet, do you really see him as just an _investment_? How despicable."

It wasn't easy to anger the future ruler of Novoselic, but anyone that looked at the glare she was sporting at that one moment would found themselves frozen to the bone.

Not that Byakuya cared if the snort that left him was any indication, something that was followed by him seemingly finding no more interest in his fellow blonde, with the younger Ultimate's legs dragging him towards his own vehicle.

And with a last sigh, Sonia was more than ready to follow his example…

"Oi, Nevermind!"

But just as she was about to turn around, she ended up simply glaring one more time at the obvious rudeness coming from the Togami heir.

What caught her off guard though, was the amount of heat packed into Byakuya's own glare.

"I don't know when you're going to tell him about the two of you." His voice almost came out as a growl, one that her honestly shocked by the sheer amount of animosity behind it. "But for your own sake, you better not try to take advantage of that idiot's foolishness. You might run that little country of yours, but don't forget who controls the rest of the world."

And with what was clearly meant to be a threat, Togami Byakuya said no more before taking his leave.

For Naegi Makoto might be an insufferable naïve fool most of the time.

But he was _his_ insufferable naïve fool.

* * *

 **Well I do have to validate the romance tag on the fic's description somehow, don't I?**

 **There's still a bit more after this AN however. Just me trying something out of the heck of it since I don't know in which part of the actual chapter to put it.**

 **I swear this is not me playing favorites. If I did, believe me, it wouldn't be a chapter with just Sonia and Byakuya. If I went full personal favorites you would all have nothing but Hifumi chapters.**

 **I wish we had more on Novoselic but oh well, I think it's easy enough to figure out what Byakuya meant by traditions. If not, feel free to ask, or wait until Makoto gets a stroke when someone finally tells him. This is why Chiaki mentioned Sonia back in chapter 6 by the way, Byakuya isn't the only one aware.**

 **I wonder what will I put out first, if a Natsumi chapter of a Novoselic chapter. That's what polls are for, I suppose, but we are not quite there yet**

 **Not much happened in this chapter, it even has the lowest character count among all the chapters so far. I found it necessary though, especially with the next one having a bunch appearing for the first time. (This is also why there aren't any V3 ones).**

 **As always, thank you all for reading this far. All of your support is greatly appreciated!**

 **Next Chapter: Conflicting Harmony.**

* * *

 **OMAKE**

 **Tales of Two Friends**

"He…hehe….hehehehehehe."

Sakakura Juzo, the Ultimate Boxer, could handle many things.

His friend and fellow Ultimate, Yukizome Chisa, laughing like a deranged lunatic while looking at her phone was not one of them.

He could swear she was even drooling and- was that blood dripping from her nose?

That was it.

"Hehe-hey!"

So with a swift movement, he took her phone out of her hands, and with a frown he looked at whatever was making Chisa act in such a way.

It was a picture of a sleeping Naegi Makoto, of course.

A slight frown appeared on his face.

Chisa just tried to laugh it off.

It took less than five seconds for their position to change.

"Noooooooo!"

"Release me, you mad woman!"

"You're going to tell Kyosuke-kun!"

"Damn right I will! What part of proper conduct went over that head of yours?!"

"You just don't get it!"

"Tell that to the police."

"You…You just want Makoto-chan for yourself! You already took Kyosuke-kun and now you want him too!"

"Are you on drugs?!"

And with Chisa hugging Jizo by the waist while he tried his best to push her away from him, the tale of two old friends continued.


	16. Generation of Harmony

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama.**

 **Chapter 14**

 **Generation of Harmony**

Finding a new approach to his dilemma ended up being a lot easier than he thought it would.

The opportunity had pretty much fallen in his lap after all, and he was truly glad for such a thing.

If it had been left to him alone he would have probably come up with nothing considering how nervous he had been all night after a certain pair of blondes had left his home yesterday.

But hey, at least this time said nervousness didn't come from some future world-ending event.

That was progress, right?

"Naegi-senpai?"

Standing in the middle of the hallway and looking at the door of a classroom with a glassy look in his eyes, however, was not the best way to show said progress to the masses.

"S-sorry, Akamatsu-san." An apologetic smile made its way to his lips in response, one that did little to convince the Ultimate Pianist that was standing right to his left.

"Is something wrong with senpai?" The blonde asked with a frown, and just hearing that question was enough to make him think of what had been plaguing his mind ever since he woke up today.

He tried, and failed miserably too, at controlling the reddening that covered his cheeks at remembering such a thing.

Suffice to say, breakfast had been an awkward affair when your sister refused to even acknowledge your presence.

"I-I'm fine, thank you!" He squeaked out louder than necessary before trying to laugh it off with a chuckle, one that died slowly once Kaede's doubtful frown refused to leave her face, with a silent groan escaping him as a result of his own actions.

He really was the peak of smoothness today, wasn't he?

"I'm just…worried about what Oma-kun might do, that's all!" Deciding that such a thing sounded like a valid enough excuse, the Luckster did his best to avoid the narrowed gaze from the younger Ultimate.

It wasn't necessarily a lie either, for a part of him was certainly nervous about that, but that was a constant worry in the first place.

"Oh!" Although said gaze was then quick to turn into an understanding one as soon as she heard his excuse. "I don't think you need to worry too much about him, senpai. He's been tied to his chair since Saturday."

Well, when she put it like that-

"He's been _what_?!"

* * *

"Naegi-chan! Save me, please!"

"Can't we put the sock back in his mouth?"

"Momota-kun!"

"What!?"

"…I say we throw him out the window."

"Harukawa-san!"

What face was he supposed to put up against such a show? He was sure that he was holding onto an incredulous expression from his position at the head of the classroom, even though by now he knew he should have gotten used to strange sights.

Even so, this was the first time he had seen one of his fellow classmates with a sock in his mouth.

He wished he could also say that it was the first time he had seen someone tied to a chair, but that would have been a lie.

Not that Nagito seemed to have cared that day.

Byakuya definitely cared though…

Now was hardly the time to remember fond, albeit weird, memories however!

"I have done as you requested, Naegi-senpai." He forced himself to move his focus from the scene at the back of the classroom in order to regard the silver-haired Ultimate bowing slightly to his side.

And he could honestly feel the sheer _pride_ oozing off the Ultimate Maid.

"Thank you for the help, Tojo-san." Off the back of his head, he knew he should have wondered why he had not seen the Ultimate Maid as of late considering how… strong-willed she could be.

In retrospect, he should have realized that by telling her to check on the Ultimate Supreme Leader as a request, that she would have taken it far more seriously than anyone else.

If he understood properly, Tojo Kirumi had stayed by her classmate's side until he had recovered his consciousness.

He didn't have it on him to tell her that she had gone a bit overboard, however, so he could only thank her for her efforts.

The young woman had already shown more than enough regret for not being able to be there for him in his time of _need_ anyway, so he didn't need to make her feel worse

"Is this…normal?" He asked with doubt and a frown, for while he certainly spent his time with his underclassmen, it wasn't like he could watch over them every hour of every day, _especially_ during class time of all things.

Today was just the exception of the rule.

"No…" The silver-haired beauty answered with a small tilt of her head, an answer that had him releasing a sigh of relief.

"Well as long as they-"

"It is normally worse." Kirumi continued, however, stopping his words right in their tracks. "You will probably be able to see it once everyone has arrived."

He had to grab hold of the teacher's desk just to keep his balance, but he still couldn't avoid hanging his head low in defeat. Was it their fault for acting like that? Or his own for expecting different? Not like they would be the only class with more than a few issues among their members.

God knew that was the norm around here in the first place.

But the Maid had a point, however, for right now the classroom was a bit on the empty side. Only six students were here beside him after all, with the Ultimate Astronaut and Ultimate Child Caregiver only being here since they were early risers, while the Ultimate Maid herself had kept true to her duty by following the Ultimate Supreme Leader here.

And he had walked here with Kaede herself, who took her role as Class Representative quite serious so seeing her first wasn't much of a surprise in the first place.

That only left one more Ultimate in the room right now…

"Should Gonta help?" And to his left, he heard the voice of the tallest member of Class 79, with the concern dripping from his voice being nothing short of genuine. "Did Gonta do wrong by bringing Oma-kun here?"

The Luckster was then looked down by the taller figure with a look of nothing but concern and worry on his face, one that had him simply smiling in return alongside a small shake of his head.

Truly, the phrase 'big softy' had never been so accurate before, but such was the best way of describing the Ultimate Entomologist, Gokuhara Gonta

"It's fine, Gonta-kun." The Luckster patted the taller teen on his arm. "I think Oma-kun is actually enjoying himself…"

He wasn't going to start judging anyone, even if he didn't get it.

He would need to have a talk about tying up classmates to chairs though, and while he knew such a thing was something a teacher should be doing, well…

Their teacher was still bed-ridden and something in his gut told him that it was his fault somehow.

Gonta seemed to not understand at first, but after hearing the loud laugh that Kokichi released after being threatened to be thrown out of the window, the Ultimate Entomologist ended up just nodding with a tilt of his head.

"I-I swear it isn't always like this!" It was Kaede the one that decided to walk back towards Makoto while doing her best to save face, even though her deflated ahoge told a different story.

The only thing she got in response, however, was a hand on her shoulder and a smile filled with so much understanding that she was almost moved to tears.

For if there was something that Naegi Makoto could relate too, it was Akamatsu Kaede's position.

Even down to the 'tying a classmate to a chair' bit.

He was sure that Byakuya would never forgive the class for that one.

"Naegi-senpai!"

And as the door of the classroom got opened once more by the missing members of the class, something told him that Kaede had three long years ahead of herself.

* * *

"This is blasphemous! Sacrilege! I demand a recount of the-" With the door of the classroom being firmly closed in his face, the world would never know what would have left Oma Kokichi's lips at that moment.

At least, not the people remaining inside the room, for there was sure a lot of muffled sound coming from outside the room

"I'm _really_ sorry about that, senpai." The one that had done the deed herself spoke, with the Ultimate Pianist showing clear regret in her gaze.

"I-It's fine, really!" And while he understood her feelings, he certainly wasn't going to judge the girl or anything.

Sure, he had told her to just call a few specific members of her class here, but if someone was aware of how hard it was to keep something hidden, it was definitely him.

However, based on the shifting eyes from Kaede, something told him that she wasn't apologizing just because this little meeting had leaked to all of her classmates.

The soft sensation that had glued itself to his right arm probably had something to do with on that regard.

"Hehe….!"

"Ah?!" A sudden, small spike of pain from the right side of his head finally brought his attention to the person responsible for not only said pain but also of the blush that was creeping up on his whole face with each second.

He would like to think it was an understandable reaction when you had someone like Iruma Miu holding onto your arm with no apparent issue at pressing herself as much as she could onto him.

He didn't know what disturbed him more right now though, the delighted grin that had formed herself on her lips or the fact that said expression was being aimed at a strand of hair that she had just plucked out of his head.

He made a mental note to double check _everything_ the Ultimate Inventor might give him lately, especially the food.

"Nyahahaha…!"

Looking to his left in a vain attempt to act as if whatever was happening to his right wasn't a worrying matter only made the Luckster's embarrassment reach levels that were too high for how early it was.

Just Miu he could handle that much, even if that raised a lot of questions about himself that he would rather prefer not answering.

But having the Ultimate Artist, Yonaga Angie, patting up and down his body while laughing was simply too much for his heart!

He certainly couldn't control the yelp that escaped him once he felt the white-haired girl pinching him on an area that certainly made this beyond the allowed skinship between students.

Maybe he should have brought an adult?

"A-Angie-san…?" He asked with a small hitch on his voice, making the girl stop for a moment just to smile up at him in a way that told him she found nothing wrong with what she was doing.

One would think that having surveillance cameras almost everywhere would limit such actions, but as Makoto had learned by now they might as well not exist with how little most of the students seemed to care.

"I need the proper measures for my next work." The dark-skinned girl spoke in an upbeat tone, almost as she was saying the obvious. "Atua prefers precision."

He was pretty damn sure there were better ways for doing that.

He didn't try to push them away, however, for he knew it wouldn't be fair considering what he was going to request from them.

Sure, it was technically a request from the school itself, but worrying about such details when it came to such favors wouldn't help at all.

"Knock it off you two!" Luckily for him, the Ultimate Pianist finally came to his rescue after seeing how uncomfortable he looked. Her declaration, however, was promptly ignored by her two classmates.

"H-How shameless, Naegi-senpai!" And from her position at the first row of desks, it was Chabashira Tenko who complained while glaring towards the Luckster in question, who could only return said glare with a bewildered look.

Wasn't he the victim here?

"L-Let's go before he tries to do the same to us, Yumeno-san!" The Ultimate Aikido Master's attitude certainly changed once she moved her attention to the red-head to her side.

However, said red-head simply ignored her and stayed rooted to her spot while also sporting quite the glare that she tried to hide behind her hat.

A part of the Ultimate Magician wanted nothing more than to pry away her special assistant from those two, but whenever she managed to gather up the courage to do it a certain part of the Inventor's anatomy stopped her in her tracks.

"That's cheating…" She murmured under her breath, with the annoyance showing in her eyes not being a result of Tenko's loud tone of voice this time.

Already knowing that he would get no help from the other two girls in the room, Makoto himself set his gaze on the last remaining student inside, who also just so happened to be the only other guy present.

"That's enough." A deep and firm voice was the response to his plight, one that easily gained the attention of the five girls standing in the classroom. "Makoto-senpai came here to tell us something but you're just annoying him like that."

"Huh? What the hell would a midget like you know?!" It was Miu who spoke in an aggressive tone with a glare.

However, the obviously angry expression of the blonde was quick to turn into a scared one, with Miu even moving from her spot to hide her body by standing behind Makoto, with her body even shaking as she kept a hold on the time-traveler's shoulder.

Not that Makoto really blamed her, for he knew there weren't many that could handle the sharp gaze of one Hoshi Ryoma, the Ultimate Tennis Pro, who definitely looked all but amused at the sight.

"Eh? Isn't it fine if it is with hubb-" A hand firmly clasped over her mouth, courtesy of Makoto himself, stopped Angie from continuing her words.

The Luckster did _not_ need another misunderstanding, especially when there was someone that could throw him through a window with the greatest of ease.

Not that he believed Tenko was capable of doing such a thing, at least not to him by now, but still, better be safe than sorry.

At least Angie didn't seem upset by his actions. He didn't need more warnings about being smitten by a god of all things.

"Hoshi-kun is right." Finally finding an opening, it didn't take long for Makoto to remove himself from the two girls right before walking backward a bit to get a proper look at the six individuals inside the classroom alongside him. "I'm sorry about having to call you all, but it's an important matter about the school."

"Shouldn't Kizakura-sensei be the one to tell us?" Kaede questioned with a frown, wondering why she hadn't seen her Homeroom teacher as of late.

Of course, she knew about the amount of trust that the Luckster had around the school, but it sounded like it should be their teacher the one standing there instead of him.

"He's…busy." It was hard to give details when he didn't know them himself, but what he said was probably better than making them start fearing Chisa by telling them what he assumed had happened. "And Headmaster asked me to do it in his place."

Or rather, he had been _forced_ by the Headmaster to do it, since excluding the absentee teacher he was the one with the most experience with this class.

It had also been part of the deal he had to agree to if he wanted the Headmaster to accept his request concerning certain green haired Li'l Ultimate.

Looks of confusion and interest danced across the younger Ultimates' eyes at his words, after all, they had been the ones picked among their classmate.

"I know we still have a couple of months before it," Makoto explained slowly. "But it's about the mid-term exams, actually."

"Exams?" Himiko wondered with a tilt of her head, vaguely remembering others mentioning those before.

"You mean the ones where we're supposed to show-off our Talents?" Ryoma understood quickly and spoke with a nod, which earned one in return from Makoto. There was also the normal part of the test that one would find in most schools sure, but he was sure he could count the number of students that actually cared about that part with his hands.

Suffice to say, he was also contained within that small category of students.

"Yes. Normally the school does it privately in front of the Headmaster and some of the best individuals on their respective fields." For one to keep their title of Ultimate, nothing but the best of performances was accepted for an institution like Hope's Peak Academy.

While his own exam was definitely different from the norm, he had seen his classmates and senpais showing their skill to the school more than once by now, so he definitely knew how demanding the exam itself was.

However, he wasn't here to tell them about that, for he was sure that they either understood it by now or that their confidence about their craft wouldn't let them worry in the first place.

"Normally?" It was Kaede the one that picked up on his wording, earning a smile from the ahoge-haired boy.

"Yes, that's what I wanted to explain actually." He continued without missing a beat. "While most will have the private treatment, the school also knows how important it is to show to the world what makes Hope's Peak special in the first place."

In the end, it came to the fact that the school _needed_ the approval of the general public to keep functioning. Even excluding the necessary donations to keep the school itself running, for a place that prided itself for hosting the future hopes of the world, the approval of not only the country but of the world was nothing short of necessary.

"That's why each year a few select groups of students from each class are picked to have a more… public sort of exam. One that's even open to the general public, to display that all the efforts going into the school aren't being wasted."

Last year, it had certainly been quite the sight to see some of his classmates and senpais pretty much filling all that came to see them with awe. Even his own parents and little sister had been left nothing short of impressed.

"Ah, I remember something like that!" Kaede spoke once more, certainly remembering hearing about it on the past. It was hard not to when you had both the Ultimate Pop Sensation and the Ultimate Musician playing in the same place.

"W-wait…" A sudden realization hit Miu, however, one that seemed to slowly dawn on the rest of her classmates. "That means… we were picked for that?!"

"Y-yes! Normally, the school tries to pick the more…showy type of talents to represent their class, and you six were picked from this one…It's not a forced thing, though! You can refuse if you want, I'm sure I can explain it to the Headmaster." Makoto continued, trying his best to explain it properly before right before he showed them all a smile filled with pride.

"I think it would be great though since I know how amazing you all are!" Finally finishing off his speech, Makoto was quick to take a few deep breaths, not expecting an immediate answer considering how he knew not everyone could perform properly in front of a great audience.

"I can do it!"

The first answer, however, came not even a minute later in the form of a clearly happy Angie, who even went as far as to raise her hand to make sure she was paid proper attention.

"Really?" He asked in surprise, for as far as he knew Angie wasn't one to do her art in public.

And why was a bad feeling suddenly forming itself on the pit of his stomach?

"Of course! That way the grace of Atua will be shown even more!" The white-haired girl was all smiles for just a moment before a look of concentration appeared on her face. "I will need some help."

"Help? I'm sure the school…"

"No no." Angie shook her finger right in front of the Luckster's face. "It has to be Naegi-senpai. I want Naegi-senpai to be my model that day."

He blinked confusedly at her right before the meaning of her words finally caught on his ears. It was extremely rare for Angie to ask something for herself instead of asking it in the name of Atua, so against such an earnest request, what else could he do but to accept?

He knew he would probably panic a bit, but he was sure that if it was Angie, then the final work would be-

"It will be a nude sculpture!"

-not suited for kids it seemed.

"Can I go too?!" The only thing that distracted him from the embarrassing feeling that he got from such a petition was the sudden cry that escaped Miu.

"S-senpai…?"

"Disgusting…"

And why was Kaede now refusing to look at him while Tenko watched him as if he was the worst type of scum in the world?

Was that saliva dripping out of Himiko's mouth?

He decided not to ask.

"There won't be any nude sculpture!" He declared firmly. "Or painting, nothing nude, Angie-san!" He continued once he saw the girl opening her mouth to ask something else, but she ended up just pouting a bit at his words before clasping her hands and putting them on her cheek.

"As long as Makoto-senpai helps me then." With her words of acceptance, he ended up just sighing before nodding. He knew that such a day would be hectic as hell, but considering how his own exam was supposed to go he was sure he would have the time to help her.

As long as he didn't get _too_ busy with other things…

"W-wait! I want help too!" It seemed something finally clicked in Miu's mind, however, for the blonde was then quick to speak in a demanding tone. "Not fair you're helping bat-shit crazy here but not me!"

"Soda-senpai will be there to help you, Iruma-san." Makoto tried to explain, but the only thing it got was a disgusted expression from the Inventor.

"That just makes it worse!" She then crossed her arms over her chest while openly frowning. "If you aren't there then I'm not doing that crap!"

"I…" He stared confusedly since he had been more than sure that if anyone would have agreed it would have been Miu with how much she liked to brag.

"I'll be sure to be there then…" He ended up accepting though, truly hoping that by doing such a thing the blonde's relationship with the rest of her class would improve somewhat.

It wasn't like it could get worse in the first place though.

"You promise?" Miu looked at him from the corner of her eyes while playing with the tips of her blonde locks with her fingers.

How the girl went from scarily outspoken to shy in a matter of seconds was simply beyond him, but the only thing he could do against such a face was to accept.

He would like to think that the way her eyes light up in such a child-like joy made it worth.

"S-senpai!" From across the room, it was Himiko the one that suddenly called out his name with a bit of pink covering her pale cheeks. "My magic… it becomes stronger when senpai is around… because of his mana…that's why, I…"

"I'll be sure to be there for Yumeno-san too." With each word, he knew he was just digging up an even bigger grave, but with how shy the Ultimate Magician could be sometimes he knew that offering her a bit of support was the least he could do.

A growl coming from Tenko told him that his decision wasn't appreciated by everyone, however.

"Don't worry, Chabashira-san. Ogami-san will be performing alongside you that day." Already knowing how Tenko would react if he tried to offer his help too, Makoto decided to use what he knew would get the Aikido Master back on a good mood.

"O-Ogami-senpai?!" The black-haired girl seemed shocked by the mention of her idol. A smile of excitement was quick to blossom on her lips right before it turned back into a frown, one that was followed by her giving the Luckster a tense nod of acceptance.

For if it was with Ogami Sakura, there was no way she could have said no!

"Guys, you're putting too much pressure on Naegi-senpai!" Kaede followed with a reproachful tone and a hand on her forehead. It wasn't like she didn't understand the feeling, but even so! "You can't have him running around all day like that!"

"Huh?" At hearing those words it was Miu the one that looked at Kaede as if she had just said the stupidest thing in the world. "Don't try and act all high and mighty with me! You were thinking of asking the same, weren't you?!"

"Eh? I, well I mean…" Seemingly caught off guard by Miu's words, Kaede's ahoge ended up standing straight, just as tense as the girl it belonged to, right it before it deflated as soon as the girl simply looked down while putting her right hand over her other arm.

"I mean, it would be great if senpai could be there…" The girl whispered without even realizing it, her eyes widening as soon as she processed what had just left her lips, with nothing but embarrassing fueling her flushed cheeks. "B-but senpai is already too busy! I can do it by myself, really!"

"…your event would actually be one of the last ones, Akamatsu-san, like Maizono-san's and Mioda-senpai's." A disarming smile appeared on Makoto's lips. "So I'm definitely going to be there!"

He decided to not mention the part in which he was sure that even if he tried to miss it, he would end up getting dragged along by a certain Ultimate Musician.

"Really?" Sure, it would hardly be the first time the Ultimate Pianist played in front of an audience, and she certainly had no issues when doing so by now, especially for her class…

"Of course! I would never miss it with Akamatsu-san there!"

"I-I see…" But even so, was it so bad that those words of reassurance made her heart skip a beat in a way she wasn't used to?

She certainly didn't dislike it…

If only she could handle her class properly so that her senpai didn't have to do it for her…

"Makoto-senpai." The deep voice of Ryoma actually followed after that, earning a raised eyebrow at the downcast form of the younger Ultimate.

And without saying anything else, the Ultimate Tennis Pro moved to leave the classroom in silence. With those actions, the time-traveler caught on what he had to do, a look of alarm crossing his eyes before his feet dragged his body in order to follow the smaller Ultimate.

"Akamatsu-san, go ahead without me, alright?" And with those words, the time-traveler left the room in order to follow Ryoma, leaving the four girls on the classroom.

"Hey, that's mine!" The silence didn't last much though, since an almost teary-eyed Miu ended up picking a fight with a laughing Angie for what, to Kaede's eyes, looked like…

Was that hair?

* * *

"You…really don't have to accept if you don't want to, Hoshi-kun…" Makoto spoke softly as he looked down at the hat-wearing teen who simply stood by the wall of the hall with his arms crossed over his chest and his face set on a frown.

"It would be my first game in front of an audience in a long time…" Ryoma whispered, barely high enough for Makoto to hear it properly, but as soon as he did he simply nodded in response, knowing how such a thing was a sensitive subject for the younger Ultimate.

"I won't force you to do anything, but…" A sad smile appeared on the ahoge-haired boy's face, one that caught the attention of the Tennis Pro quite easily. "I really want for everyone to see Hoshi-kun as I saw him that day…"

"Ho? Is that another challenge, Makoto? You sure have spirit." The small smirk that appeared on Ryoma's face actually made Makoto chuckle a bit, for playing tennis against someone like Hoshi Ryoma had been one heck of an experience.

"If it would help Hoshi-kun then, I would love to be your opponent again." He knew it would be as one-sided as it got, but as long as he was able to see that same spirit Ryoma has shown him that day, he certainly wouldn't mind!

"If it is with you then…maybe…" Ryoma's smirk slowly turned into a softer expression right before the Tennis Pro moved away from the wall, with his hand grabbing the small stick that had been resting on his ear before putting it between his lips. "I'll need to think about it but… I hope you don't regret your words."

For some reason, the memory of a tennis ball hitting his face started popping into his mind.

"Sorry for showing you such an uncool sight, senpai." Actual regret slipped from Ryoma's voice.

"Kukuku, there is nothing _uncool_ about expressing oneself, Hoshi-san."

However, it wasn't Makoto the one that answered first, but rather the words came out of a sleek voice that chose said moment to walk out of the corner of the hallway, almost as if he had been waiting for his cue to appear.

"Shinguji-kun?!" The first one to react was Makoto, who could only look at the Ultimate Anthropologist in shock, while Ryoma simply limited himself to give the newcomer a rather sharp glance.

"How long were you eavesdropping?" Ryoma asked in a tone that Makoto knew would make most shiver on their spot.

"I assure you that I just arrived, Hoshi-san." Shinguji Korekiyo, however, was not one to be intimidated, so even against such an open hostility he still did nothing but to tilt his head slightly. "Whatever it was that you discussed, it remains between the two of you."

A small snort left Ryoma in response, with the intensity of his stare lessening only the smallest fraction.

"I'll give you your answer later, senpai." And with a pat on the still surprised Luckster, the Ultimate Tennis Pro was quick to leave, with his retreating form being the center of Makoto's attention until he left the hallway.

"Your ability to tame even the more unruly figures never ceases to amaze me, Naegi-senpai." Makoto's attention was then moved to the black-haired Ultimate that had just appeared, however. "Truly, it makes for quite the spectacles from time to time."

"Thank you…?" He decided to take that one as a compliment, something that simply earned a low chuckle from the mask-wearing Ultimate. "But how did you…?"

"After we returned to the classroom and found no sign of senpai there, we all decided to go and search for you by ourselves. " Korekiyo explained easily while walking closer to the Luckster. "I was simply lucky enough to find you first, senpai…Or maybe it was your own luck? Your abilities can sometimes defy all logic approach, after all."

It was definitely better to just take all those comments as compliments, Naegi Makoto decided that day. He wasn't sure if his mental stability would hold up otherwise.

"It truly is a lucky occasion if I might say." And with those words, the yellow-eyed young man ended up putting a bandaged hand right on the Luckster's shoulder. "Since I find myself in the need of your…assistance, Naegi-senpai."

Makoto could only stare confusedly at hearing such a thing for among his underclassmen the one standing alongside him was one of the few that never really asked anything from him, so to hear such a request from him…

"You mean…?" His body tensed a bit under Korekiyo's grip, with the conclusion that had reached Makoto's mind being confirmed by Korekiyo's slight nod.

"Your help means more to me than you can think of, senpai." The Ultimate Anthropologist spoke with a sigh. "I fear I myself am not enough to qualm _her_ loneliness."

"I'm always glad to help, but…" A frown appeared on his face while he could also feel the grip Korekiyo had on his shoulder becoming stronger. "What about your classmates? I'm sure they could help too if you asked them…"

"I fear that none of them are trustable enough, senpai." Korekiyo waved his other hand in front of his face, almost as if trying to wave away the idea, right before he planted said hand on his own cheek. "Akamatsu-san looks promising though… But I'll have to make sure she doesn't bring Saihara-kun with her, I would rather keep the _boys_ away from her."

Makoto could only nod, more than aware of how protective the Ultimate Anthropologist could be when it came to his remaining family member.

A part of him felt touched that he was the only male that he would allow close to his sister, but the other part of him almost had him hanging his head in shame, for in the end he knew it wasn't only a matter of trust, but also the simple fact that he wasn't seen as a _man_ by the Shinguji siblings.

It definitely did wonders for his pride, to say the least.

Loud sounds of struggle started reaching Makoto's ears soon after that, almost as if an actual stampede was moving through the halls close to where he was. A mild look of panic flashed through his face right before the hand that had been holding his shoulder moved to pat his back, with another low chuckle escaping Korekiyo's lips.

"I'm sure you have places to be, Naegi-senpai, so least I can do is to distract my rowdy classmates." The black-haired teen moved away from the Luckster in the direction the noise was starting to become louder. "Don't forget we will be waiting anxiously on the weekend, you already know where to find us."

A silent prayer ended up leaving Makoto towards the young man that was giving his life to save him that day.

But Korekiyo had been right, he _did_ need to be somewhere else right now, and he was sure that Kaede, among others, were already waiting for him there.

While moving in long strides he took out his phone, and with a few movements, he brought the device to his ear.

It didn't take very long for his call to be answered.

"Sakakura-san? Can we move the meeting up a bit; I need to ask you something important."

Kirigiri Jin might be the only one he had told his secret to.

But that didn't mean he didn't have other allies inside Hope's Peak.

* * *

 **This AN has slight V3 spoilers. Just a small heads up.**

 **And with this chapter all the V3 characters have appeared at least once, some with more focus than others I'll admit. Poor Gonta, he's one of my favorites but this chapter wasn't for him.**

 **It seems that with the previous chapter a lot of people were left confused by what Novoselic tradition I referred to in the said chapter. I was honestly just going to explain it here and be done with it, but I decided that it wouldn't be fun like that, so you can expect for said subject to be brought up in the near future by another character for those that want the explanation. Think of it as another mystery for the time being.**

 **And with that being said...**

 **One of the things I really didn't want to do was to change the backstory of the characters. This becomes especially troublesome for the V3 characters, as those that have played the game might be aware off, and the one that shows this the most for me is definitely Kiyo, with Kirumi being a close second.**

 **Suffice to say,** _ **that**_ **part of Kirumi's backstory obviously isn't present here. You know what part I'm referring to.**

 **With other characters like Syo, Mukuro, Ryoma, and Maki, the circumstances surrounding their past actions can work in favor of their relationships with Makoto. With Kiyo, at least for me, there isn't much to do besides making him a villain if I were to just leave him as V3 gave him to us.**

 **I won't actually change the backstory that V3 gave us, but rather, as this chapter hinted at, Makoto has met Kiyo at a point on his life** _ **before**_ **his sister died. It is the best compromise that I found in order to keep most of Kiyo's character without opening a can of worms.**

 **Doesn't mean Kiyo can't reach the same state that he showed in V3 though, but I can only give Makoto so many killer friends so early in the story.**

 **With that explanation out of the way, this chapter worked mostly to set up future events that have been hinted before. V3 characters allow me to flesh out this version of Hope's Peak Academy more so that I can put Makoto and company through different situations. As a review pointed out, most of the story will cover Makoto's 2** **nd** **year, which gives time for plenty of special events like how V3 showed in the Talent Development mode.**

 **If anyone wants to know already what the next arc is all about, you can look no further than to chapter 5 (or 6 if you by the site's way of labeling them). We still have a few more chapters before that though.**

 **I'm also glad the little omake from the last chapter was well received. For that, I'll throw a bone and say that they won't be there just for laughs. I will probably put one up every 2 chapters for anyone that is interested in that.**

 **Once more, thank you all for the continuous support in the form of follows, favorites, views and of course reviews. I never expected for this story to become so popular, and it is all thanks to you readers.**

 **Next Chapter: New Approach.**


	17. Among Allies, Friends, and Despair

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama.**

 **Chapter 15**

 **Among Allies, Friends, and Despair**

"I'm truly glad you all had time to come at my request. I apologize for eating up your time though, Nanami-san, Akamatsu-san, Naegi-kun…"

Even after hearing those words in such a respectful and friendly tone, Akamatsu Kaede was still unable to hide the bit of nervousness that had her standing so tense in her spot to the right of her brown-haired senpai.

This was, after all, her first time not only inside the office of the Student Council President but also her first meeting with the man himself, Murasame Soshun.

Sure, the whole atmosphere was actually quite relaxed inside, something that made the quite elegant room feel less intimidating, but even so, she still couldn't calm down for some reason.

Would her behavior today leave an impression of her whole class to him? She was truly glad no one but the Luckster of her class knew about this meeting, for she could only imagine what might have happened if the rest found out about it.

"It's fine, Murasame-senpai, really!" The first one to answer back was Naegi, with a friendly smile firmly planted on his lips. "It _is_ that time of the year after all…"

"We'll do our best as always, Murasame-kun." And to Makoto's side, it was the Ultimate Gamer that followed suit with a determined nod.

"Uhm…?" Kaede ended up raising her hand slowly with a confused frown on her face, earning the attention of the older trio. "I'm not sure why I'm here…"

Sure, her senpai had told her that she had been called here earlier today, but he hadn't told her the reason behind said call in the first place.

"Sorry about that, Akamatsu-san." Makoto actually whispered his words of regret, but she simply smiled in return, not really bothered by it.

"Right, I forgot you're new around here, Akamatsu-san." Soshun seemed to not see her concern as an issue, however. "Are you aware of the upcoming event that's being hosted by the school?"

"Event?" She questioned with a tilt of her head with her brow scrunching over for a second before a look of understanding filled her face. "You mean the Sports Festival?"

"Indeed." The brown-haired teen confirmed with a nod. "And as Class Representative that you are, I believe that asking for your help would be the best way to have your class to cooperate, Akamatsu-san, just like how Naegi-kun and Nanami-san have done before with their classes."

His words left the blonde deep in thought with her arms crossed over her chest just as she properly processed what she had just heard.

She was the Class Representative, and he wanted for her to make her class cooperate with the Sports Festival?

It didn't take a genius to figure that one out, especially considering how she remembered doing something similar back in her previous school.

"You want to make the classes help at setting up everything for the Festival, right?" She said just as she brought her fist down on her palm and with a smile on her lips. Sure, it wouldn't be easier to make them all help, but that definitely wouldn't stop her from trying.

She just wanted to do it without her senpai having to back her up all the time.

Her words, however, were met by nothing but silence.

And it was such a cold, unforgiving silence that it actually had her blinking in confusion with her mind trying to figure out if she had done something wrong.

The only response she got was a pat on her head.

"N-Nanami-senpai?" The blonde's word came out with nothing but surprise at the suddenness of the Ultimate Gamer's actions, especially since she hadn't even seen her move.

"You're cute." Chiaki's words only made Kaede's cheek to flush in embarrassment, for at that moment she felt like a kid being doted on by her mother.

The next thing she heard, however, was the sound of laughter, easily gaining her attention. It started like a low and calmed chuckle, but in less than a minute it had transformed into quite the boisterous laugh to the point that the owner of said laugh had to grab a hold of the desk behind him just to not stumble down.

"No." But just as quick as he had started laughing, Soshun's expression turned into one that showed nothing but tiredness so fast that the blonde knew she would have missed it if she had blinked. "What I _need_ you to do as Class Representative is to make sure your class is as _far_ as humanly possible from _anything_ related to the upcoming Sports Festival."

Her jaw dropped, and looking to the side to try and meet Makoto's gaze only got her a nod of sad acceptance in response.

"Of course you and your class can still prepare yourself in the designated areas." The Student Council President explained right before bringing a hand to massage the bridge of his nose. "But for the love of God keep them away from anything related to the preparations!"

"I just… the school can't handle another incident." And then right in front of her eyes the Ultimate Pianist saw the President slowly becoming a shivering mess. "We just can't!"

"There there, everything will be alright, Murasame-senpai." And before she knew it, Makoto was already by the President's side and slowly patting him on the back.

"We already spent the funds that we had for the year in less than a month, Naegi-kun!"

"I-I'm sure nothing bad will happen, senpai."

"If the Sports Festival becomes a mess it will leave a permanent scar on my last year…!"

"I'm sure everyone will behave!"

"I might have to start selling my body just to fix the damages!"

"I will help, senpai, but I don't think-"

"Will you sell your body alongside me, Naegi-kun?!"

"N-not that kind of help!"

Kaede could only look at the now hugging pair of older Ultimates, with Makoto having none other than Murasame Soshun, the Ultimate Student Council President, slightly sobbing on his shoulder.

Chiaki for her part looked at the spectacle as if it was something that happened every day.

"Akamatsu-san." It was Makoto the one that called out to the still bewildered Pianist, who could not understand from where such a reaction-

"Try to imagine Oma-kun helping for the Festival."

Oh… _Oh._

Her eyes widened not even a second later.

She vowed to herself to _not_ fail, for everyone's sake.

* * *

"I will help you if it ever gets out of hand so don't worry too much, Akamatsu-san." It was the Luckster that tried to offer her words of assurance right after leaving the Student Council's office.

And while her words certainly sounding reassuring she still pursed her lips slightly.

How long was she going to bother him about her class?

"Senpai, I…"

Her words died before they left her mouth as a tune came out of her senpai's pocket.

"Sorry Akamatsu-san, but I need to go!"

And before she knew it he was gone, leaving a frowning blonde in his wake.

"Akamatsu-san." She wasn't by herself though, for the Ultimate Gamer still stood to her side.

"Nanami-senpai?" She questioned the older girl, who did nothing but to bring her phone to her face.

"Would you like a copy too?"

Nanami Chiaki became her second favorite senpai that day.

* * *

"Thank you for having me over, Sakakura-san."

"It isn't really an issue, but…"

"Ufufufufu."

"I don't remember inviting _you,_ Chisa."

The Ultimate Boxer's harsh tone did little to affect Chisa's smile and happy humming, however.

It probably had to do with how close she was sitting to Naegi, Juzo decided.

"But you two were going to talk about the school, weren't you?" Chisa spoke with a slight pout aimed at her former classmate. "It's not fair for you to leave me out then, Juzo-kun! Kyousuke-kun wanted us to work together!"

A small groan left the Boxer, to which the orange-haired woman could only grin victoriously in response.

And as for the youngest Ultimate currently residing in the Boxer's room, he simply offered Juzo an apologetic smile.

Chisa had followed him here without him realizing it, after all.

"I just wanted to make sure you didn't try _anything_ , Juzo-kun!" The Ultimate Housekeeper tried, and failed miserably, to hide her mocking smile behind her hand. "Kyousuke-kun told us about _proper conduct_ , after all!"

If looks could kill, Makoto was sure Chisa would have died ten times over just by the intensity in Juzo's glare.

"Very funny." The Boxer's tone proved that he was hardly amused. "Only reason we're doing this here is because these rooms are the only places that aren't filled with cameras in the entire school."

The Luckster nodded slightly, remembering the reason he had decided to meet with Juzo in his room no less.

Hope's Peak Academy certainly did its best when it came to security, but even the school knew that for those students and members of the staff that decided to live inside the walls of the school that a certain amount of privacy was needed.

And with what he wanted to know he wasn't surprised that the Boxer wanted to have this conversation as privately as possible.

"You came here for this, right?" Wanting to get this over with quickly, Juzo moved his hand towards the laptop resting at the middle of the table, and with a press of a button, he turned the screen to the opposite side of the table so that Makoto could watch it properly.

"Nothing is happening…?" Chisa whispered in wonder with her face almost touching Makoto from her position at watching the video alongside him.

"I think that's the problem." Makoto murmured while his eyes remained focused on the screen, one that showed what he knew was one of the hallways of the school.

"It is," Juzo confirmed in an obviously frustrated tone. "Even if you were to look at that tape until the end you would see no one. Problem is that it _should_ show which bastard stole the stuff from the warehouse."

Makoto nodded once more just before a sigh left his lips. He knew of course, that not even the security cameras had been able to catch the culprit behind the robbery.

In his mind, he believed in what the Headmaster had said, that such a thing like this and the sudden appearance of an Ultimate Despair _had_ to be related somehow.

The most obvious way was that Ultimate Despair and this intruder ended up being the same individual.

And if such a thing was true then, as long as he was able to learn the truth about this incident, wasn't that the best way around figuring out who this Ultimate Despair was?

But if figuring this one out was as easy as that, then he was sure someone would have been caught by now.

"Here," Juzo spoke once more before sliding a small device towards Makoto who caught it quickly. "The copies of the surveillance videos are there if you really want to check them over. I doubt you'll find anything though."

"Thank you." The Luckster was quick to pocket the device, already planning on what he would do with such a thing.

"Suffice to say that I shouldn't be giving that to a student of all things, Headmaster's favorite or not." Juzo drawled once more with a small glare. "You better not let anyone find out I gave you that."

He was more than aware of the consequences if such a thing were to happen.

"You worry too much, Juzo-kun." For her part, however, Chisa didn't seem to worry all that much for any possible leak.

"And you worry too little, Chisa." The Boxer crossed his arms over his chest in open defiance. "Have you forgotten our _real_ position at this school?"

"Kyousuke-kun trusts Makoto-kun," Chisa spoke as if those words were more than enough to settle the argument. "So do I and I don't like you acting as if _you_ didn't."

Juzo only clicked his tongue in response, to which Makoto could only smile slightly.

He knew that there was indeed a tentative trust between him and the Boxer born out of the nature of their relationship, or rather the relationship with another certain former student.

"I won't betray your trust, Sakakura-san." He spoke resolutely, the suddenness of his words earning a surprised look from Chisa and a raised eyebrow from Juzo. "I know how important this is… I honestly just want for everyone in the school to be safe… that's why, even if I am on the Headmaster's side, I also believe in Munakata-san!"

Chisa's face slowly turned into a soft smile at hearing those words, while Juzo simply kept staring down at the time traveler's earnest face before slowly turning his head to the side, the frown on his face mellowing down just a bit.

"As long as you understand…" He spoke grimly before scratching the back of his head. "Shouldn't you be in class by now or something? That goes double for you, Chisa."

And before Makoto knew it Chisa had already stood up and had pretty much grabbed him by the shoulders, almost making him shudder under the intensity of her smile.

"He's right! The other teachers told me you skipped classes yesterday, Makoto-kun, so I'm making sure you arrive today safe and sound!"

The woman wasn't a fan of her students skipping classes, to say the least.

"I-I'm sorry, Sensei!" He spoke while almost breaking out in a cold sweat. "I just…wanted to check on the Elementary Course for a bit and I ended up losing track of time…"

Chisa's smile turned softer once more at hearing his reason, not the least surprised to hear such a thing from the teen.

"Of course you did." She said in a kind tone while slowly stroking his head, actually making the Luckster blush a bit in embarrassment. "As your teacher, I'll just have to help you with the material after class then!"

"Eh?" The way in which he was dragged up and almost pushed out of the room by the older woman told him he had no choice in the matter. "B-But Celes-san already-"

"Shush you, just let Onee-san take care of it all!"

"Onee-san?!"

When did their relationship change like that?!

"Oi, Naegi!"

Just when they were at the door it was the voice of Juzo the one that stopped the duo, with both turning their head back to look at the increasingly annoyed Boxer.

"You might want to check with that Ultimate Programmer you have for a classmate. We had him making sure no one had messed with the footage or the servers already, but you never know what else he might have found."

The Luckster nodded at the information, but the words of gratitude that were about to leave him were drowned by Chisa's sudden push on his back.

It didn't take long for Juzo to be alone in his room just as a tired sigh left him.

"Damnshotacon."

* * *

"I-I'm sorry, Makoto-san…"

"Its fine, Fujisaki-kun, really!" He knew he shouldn't have expected much, but he still couldn't hide the disappointment that had crossed his face after hearing that not even someone like Chihiro had been able to find something about it.

"The f-footage was clean…no one really edited it in any way…" The cross-dresser spoke in a soft tone with his face down because of the fact he had not been able to help his close friend. "The security programs in Hope's Peak are incredible too… I don't think a-anyone would have been able to break in so easily without alarming s-someone…"

Makoto ended up sitting after hearing such words, his face also glued to the floor while his eyes showed how deep in thought he was.

If the footage was clean then, how could someone have just avoided being seen by the cameras? Unless it had been a ghost of all things, wasn't this too much?

Sure, this was a world where people like the Ultimates existed, but even they couldn't just walk through walls or become invisible!

…right?

"M-maybe they did something to the cameras?" Chihiro proposed in a curious tone earning the attention of the Luckster. "I-I mean, instead of the f-footage, maybe they manipulated the actual c-cameras…?"

Could they have done so? But if so, how exactly?

"Nah, that wouldn't work."

Such comment made the duo turn their heads towards the Ultimate standing by the entrance, who also just so happened to be munching on an apple.

"Eh? I-Is that so…?"

"How do you know that, Soda-senpai?" Makoto asked the Ultimate Mechanic, who simply shrugged before taking another bite of his snack.

He hadn't been really surprised at finding the pink-haired Ultimate here after class considering the strange friendship the Mechanic had started with the Programmer because of their talents, but now it might even give him some more useful information it seemed.

"You can't really touch those cameras without an alarm going off almost immediately," Kazuichi explained after swallowing, a grin showing his sharp teeth to the world. "So if someone tried to do that believe me, half the school would have noticed it right away…"

Kazuichi looked even proud at being able to give such information out to the brown-haired teen, however said time-traveler could only frown slightly at hearing such a thing.

"And how do you know that, senpai?" This was certainly the first time he had heard about that little fact, and for him to hear it from the Ultimate Mechanic of all people…

"Well, you know…" The awkward chuckle that left Kazuichi did little to fool anyone. "I just… wanted to make sure they worked properly so that Sonia-san wouldn't have to worry for her safety, that's all! She's a Princess, you know? What if someone kidnapped her?!"

For some reason, the Mechanic's motives only worried Makoto even more.

"M-Maybe I could…" Chihiro's whispers, even though they were said in a low tone, managed to reach Makoto's ears.

"Fujisaki-kun?"

"If I used _him_ then maybe… we could find out something that I m-might have missed…"

It didn't take longer than a second for the ahoge-haired boy to understand what the smaller boy was implying, with nothing but hope shining on his brown eyes at the idea.

After all, if someone could find something, it was definitely _him_.

"Are you sure, Fujisaki-kun? I thought you wanted to keep him a secret for now…" Even so, Makoto asked carefully, already knowing how Chihiro felt about his greatest creation to date.

"But if it is to help Makoto-san then…" Chihiro assured with a small smile. "And I want to help… to catch whoever did this."

"Only if you're sure then…" He definitely understood the Programmer's feelings considering how it had been his stuff some of the things that had been stolen.

However if there was something that Makoto knew by now, it was just how effective Fujisaki Chihiro's creations could be.

Especially when it came to a certain AI.

"I will start setting him up then… it might take a while but I'll be sure to let you know, Makoto-san." Another small smile appeared on Chihiro's face, one that Makoto made sure to return in kind. Sure, the boy's rather fragile disposition might fool others, but the Luckster had long since stopped underestimating the Programmer.

He would have died without the Programmer's Magnus Opus, after all.

"Hey hey, Makoto!"

"Huh?"

It was another hushed voice the one that reached his ears, courtesy of the older Ultimate that now had him in a hold with his arm around his neck, earning a confused blink from Chihiro himself.

"If you're done with your secret talk," Kazuichi whispered, apparently wanting to keep this to only Makoto's ears. "I need your help, man!"

"My help?" He whispered confusedly in return while deciding to just go with the flow of whatever was going on.

"Yeah! I don't know if you already found out, but Sonia-san is back already!"

Oh… _Oh._

He knew he was forgetting something important.

"S-Sonia-senpai, you say?" For some reason he found himself feigning ignorance, but then again something told him that telling the older Ultimate that his not-so-secret crush had decided to visit him as the first thing she did in the country was not the best of ideas.

And that was ignoring _that_ part of the visit.

"Yeah!" The obvious joy in Kazuichi's voice and expression only made the Luckster feel even worse. "So I need your help with making her fall for me, Makoto!"

This was, of course, hardly the first time one Soda Kazuichi had asked for his help in such an endeavor.

Suffice to say that those had never ended with any positive results in the three years he had interacted with the pink-haired Ultimate.

And if this had been asked to him even just yesterday he would have agreed to at least try and help.

But now? He was honestly feeling as if he had betrayed the Mechanic's trust.

"I…Soda-senpai…" He found himself not knowing what to say at all with the words dying on his throat just as cold sweat started forming on his brow.

A reaction that was not missed by Kazuichi.

"Hmm? You alright there Makoto?" The pink-eyed Ultimate asked with concern and a frown, which said expression slowly turning into a narrowed gaze that only made the Luckster even more nervous. "Don't tell me you…?"

And just as his eyes widened, but right before the Mechanic got time to finish his sentence, _someone_ struck.

It was almost as if an actual whirlwind had entered the Research Lab of the Ultimate Programmer, with the door suddenly being opened and then closed so quickly that all felt like a blur.

Heck, to the normal eye it had been an _actual_ blur that had just entered and taken one Naegi Makoto over its shoulder right before leaving.

And to Fujisaki Chihiro, it had been an experience that he had not been ready for, something that clearly showed in his perplexed expression.

But as for the Mechanic….

"Goddammit, Mioda! We were having an important conversation here! It's a life or death situation I tell you!"

He pretty much ran out of the Research Lab in the hunt for the quite familiar black, blue and pink blur that he now knew for certain was his classmate.

* * *

It almost felt like a rollercoaster if the Luckster was forced to describe it in some way.

How one person was able to move that quickly was something his mind wasn't able to process, especially when her talent should have nothing to do with such speed.

The whole world seemed like it was spinning by the time he was finally put down on the floor, his own figure wobbly and obviously dizzy with the only reason for his butt to not have met the floor being the steady hand that was resting on his shoulder.

"You looking a bit green there, Makoto-chan!" A voice that could only be called energetic was heard to his side but whatever strength he had to respond was instead used to make sure he could actually stay on his two feet. "Ibuki has never seen Makoto-chan puking before though…! Makoto-chan, do you think-"

"I would rather not, Mioda-senpai." He answered between deep breaths while honestly not knowing what to make of the disappointed pout that the Ultimate Musician, Mioda Ibuki, threw his way.

"Eh?! But Makoto-chan already saw Ibuki puking before!"

That experience had been hardly as good as Ibuki's tone made it out to be, especially considering the amounts of alcohol the Luckster remembers seeing his senpais drinking that day.

His rather pale face turned quite crimson at such a memory.

"Of course the first thing you would talk about would be something disgusting." A rather biting tone ended up cutting through the conversation, although those words were being mostly aimed at the Musician. "Can't say it doesn't fit though!"

Before he had time to say something in return it was the owner of the new voice the one that made the first move, more specifically by grasping his left hand with both of hers.

"And as much as I _appreciate_ your help." The blonde girl known as the Ultimate Traditional Dancer, Saionji Hiyoko, spoke with a mocking smirk plastered on her face. "Be a good doggy and leave already, will you? C'mon now, shush shush."

"Saionji-senpai…" While Makoto himself wasn't a fan of the tone in which the blonde spoke it seemed that those words did little to affect Ibuki herself if the rather curious look on her face was any indication.

"But I wanted to play with Makoto-chan too!" The black-haired girl whined with a stomp, her words only making her blonde classmate to glare heatedly in return.

"We are not _playing_ , you uncultured swine!" Hiyoko was not one to mind her words, to say the least. "We are going to practice to leave everyone speechless with our dance and I won't have you ruining that with your presence!"

"Wait we're doing what now?" It was only now that the time-traveler realized that he had been dragged into the Research Lab of the Ultimate Traditional Dancer no less.

Even if the stage resting on the opposite end of the rather large room wasn't proof enough of that, the sakura trees that surrounded it certainly were.

"Oh oh I know! I can play while you two dance!" His question was promptly ignored, however.

"As if that noise you make could be considered appropriate!"

"Then I'll dance too!" He was not sure if to label those weird movements the Musician was making as 'dancing' would be appropriate either.

"I swear if you do that again in my presence I'll destroy your guitar." The blonde spoke through gritted teeth almost as if she had been personally offended by the movements, which she probably was decided the Luckster.

"Uhm, senpais?" He called out once more, finally earning the attention of the bickering duo that slowly turned their heads towards him while still refusing to let go of his body.

Only for said attention to go away not even a second later just as they went back to look at one another.

"Leave dammit!"

"Woof!"

"You little…!" Hiyoko's patience could only go so far, however, so the blonde ended up simply growling before dragging the ahoge-boy away from the Musician's grasp and towards the stage on the other side of the room. "Just go stare at the corner or something then, I don't care!"

The fact that Ibuki saluted at the order didn't help with Hiyoko's mood to say the least.

"I'm still a bit lost here…" Getting kidnapped by the Ultimate Musician and then manhandled by the Ultimate Traditional Dancer was not how he thought his evening would go if he had to be honest.

"Don't worry." In comparison to when she talked with her classmate, Hiyoko's voice came out a lot softer than before. "We just need to start practicing from today onward. I want _our_ day to be perfect!"

How was it that she could say so much and still leave him clueless like this?

Once they reached the stage however, the blonde turned around, finally looking at the rather confused expression that the younger Ultimate was sporting which only made her sigh in response.

"Don't tell me you forgot already!" The orange eyes of the older Ultimate narrowed towards him, to which he could only gulp in response. It was in times like this that he truly realized how much the blonde had grown considering that right now they were at the same eye-level.

Quite the contrast considering how even he had been taller than her before.

"You told me you would help me for my Exam, remember?" Hiyoko wasn't pleased with his silence, to say the least even though he definitely remembered that promise.

"Yeah, but…" While he knew what the girl was referring too he still wasn't sure of why he had been dragged here. He knew that Hiyoko liked to show him her dancing before an event like this, but wasn't this still a bit early?

"Good!" The girl nodded with a grin before pointing at the stage behind her. "Then go prepare! I have the perfect outfit for you already and we need to practice the moves starting today!"

He blinked owlishly at the magnificent stage in front of him before turning his focus to the blonde who simply kept smiling at him with her hands on her hips.

It didn't take a genius to understand what Hiyoko was implying.

"You want me to dance with you?!" His voice came out with nothing but incredulity for not even for a second had the thought of actually dancing with the older Ultimate crossed through his mind.

Sure, he had agreed to help her but he had been sure that it would be just like the years before, not like _this_.

"Isn't it obvious?" No, it was not actually, but Makoto knew better than to voice out such a thing. "I was fine before with you just watching, but now it's time to finish your training in the fine arts!"

He, as a matter of fact, did not remember signing up for any training like that.

"I-I don't think that's a good idea, Saionji-senpai…" His words came out in the most reasonable tone he could muster for there was a massive difference between helping and doing something like that.

Hiyoko did not see it that way, however, if the way she grew increasingly annoyed was proof of anything.

The only thing she did was to stare at him with a narrowed gaze for what he almost felt like an eternity, right before she huffed and turned around, giving her back to the confused Luckster.

"I see how it is now." Her voice came out with such venom that it almost made him flinch on the spot. "Now that you have the new students around you're suddenly too busy to help, right? I bet you already accepted to help them, right?"

"H-How did you-"

"Am I wrong?"

He closed his mouth immediately before looking down knowing that there wasn't much that he could say to that one.

"I don't care anyway!" Even though he wasn't able to see her face, it was the way that her shoulders shook and her voice quivered what told him otherwise. "I can do it by myself anyway, so why don't you leave? I'm sure someone must be looking for their precious _senpai_ already."

The way it seemed that the blonde was even holding back a sob only made it worse for the time-traveler, who could only watch her back with clear regret in his brown eyes.

He truly didn't know that such a thing would mean so much to her to the point it would upset her like this if he refused. He just knew he would never be able to keep up with someone like the Ultimate Traditional Dancer, so wasn't performing alongside her simply out of the question?

It was different than with others for if he somehow messed it up then it would reflect badly for her, or at least that was the reasoning the Luckster was using.

And for someone as prideful as Hiyoko, wasn't ruining her art the worst offense that one could muster?

But seeing her like this, with her body quivering and the sound of sniffling leaving her from time to time, Makoto found his resolve slowly disappearing.

"I, if senpai…" He spoke slowly and with regret in his voice. "I mean, I-If Saionji-senpai is really all right with me then…I can…"

He could only imagine the amount of work he would have to do if he wanted to keep up with someone like Saionji Hiyoko, but if it meant stopping her from crying like this then…

"Great!"

"Huh?"

But when the blonde turned around not even a second later there were no signs of her previous state of heartbreak. Heck, she didn't even look like a single tear had ever appeared on her eyes, with the grin that was on her lips telling him one simple fact.

'…she got me again, didn't she?'

"Let me change first to show how we're doing this." And while he could tell that the blonde's happiness was genuine this time it still didn't change the fact that he had been fooled by her crocodile tears. "Besides, Nevermind has been all smiles today for some reason and it's been pissing me off so I need the distraction!

The chill that went down his spine at her words honestly made him shiver on the spot. He was only glad that she didn't seem to notice his reaction.

He probably had no way out of this, at least not one that would end well, but considering that the alternative was to perform in a way it wouldn't make the Ultimate Traditional Dancer look bad the Luckster was simply left with not knowing what to do.

So when the older Ultimate pretty much skipped towards the back area of the stage it left a young man that could do nothing but to hang his head down while groaning slightly.

"Sneak attack!"

Not that he even got time to think about anything, considering the pair of arms that had circled around his midsection before pulling him backwards so that his back met the front of the girl that had decided to hug him from behind.

"M-Mioda-senpai?!" To say that he was surprised by the sudden contact would have been an understatement. His shock reached the point at which he forgot to tell the girl that announcing her action made for not an effective surprise attack.

The way in which Ibuki rested her chin on his right shoulder while making sure their cheeks were touching did little to help with his embarrassment.

"Makoto-chan got tricked by Hiyoko-chan again!" The Musician announced in a sing-song voice. "Makoto-chan is probably going to be the daddy that spoils his children rotten… Oh! If Makoto-chan adopts Ibuki then he would spoil me too!"

Whatever he was going to say in response ended up never leaving his lips, however, and instead it was a surprised gasp what left him, which was accompanied by his eyes widening like dinner-plates and his whole face going crimson.

It wasn't every day you have Mioda Ibuki suddenly biting and slightly sucking on your neck, after all.

His attempt at speaking only came out as gibberish however, with the hold that Ibuki had on him becoming tighter right before she finally separated her lips from his neck, an action that was followed by the older Ultimate licking her lips.

"Yummy!" Ibuki chirped with a grin, while the Luckster still found himself too surprised to question her actions. "I read online that you can tell how a person's feeling by the taste of their skin so Ibuki really wanted to try it with Makoto-chan!"

"What?" He spoke in a daze and with confusion while also knowing that trying to figure out what went though Ibuki's mind was an ordeal all by itself.

"Chiaki-chan said that Makoto-chan still looked under the weather so Ibuki just wanted to confirm it." The older Ultimate spoke with a hum while resting her head on his shoulder. "But Makoto-chan would just brush it off if someone asked him directly…"

Even though the reddening on his cheeks was still visible, this time the Luckster's silence wasn't out of embarrassment, but rather of the fact that he knew she was saying the truth.

He sometimes forgot how perceptive the Musician could be.

"It's not that bad, senpai…really." His voice came out as a murmur, and even he could tell how it sounded as far from a convincing statement as it could get.

A small hum was the response he got, with the humming from Ibuki being the only sound that surrounded the two students. It didn't take long for him to recognize the tune that the black-haired girl had decided to use, and it was one that actually brought a slight smile to his lips.

He knew it was far from what Ibuki normally preferred to sing but he still couldn't help to find it incredibly soothing.

Whether it was because of the girl doing the humming or the memories of what said song represented he didn't know, probably both if he had to be honest, but at that one moment even if it was for just a few seconds the warmness that he felt was enough to make him forget everything that had been plaguing his mind throughout the day.

Her tune ended a few moments later, leaving the duo in a comfortable silence. There was no awkwardness or embarrassment between the two even considering their current embrace but instead, the soft expression in their faces told a story of someone more than willing to help a loved one and another one that needed it more than he could imagine.

"Ibuki just hopes Makoto-chan can find someone he trusts enough to help him." The Musician's sudden words threw Makoto out of his thoughts. "Just like how Ibuki trusts Makoto-chan!"

He turned his head to his side to look at the older Ultimate properly, to try and tell her that he _did_ trust her, he truly did, but the only thing he found was the smiling visage of the Musician right in his face to the point their noses were almost touching.

It wasn't the closeness what got to him though, but rather the smile that the girl was displaying. It was one that was telling him that she understood perfectly, a smile of patience telling him that if he would have her she could also be that confident that he needed.

But against such an earnest look he ended up just moving his gaze to the side, truly feeling ashamed that he couldn't respond to such an honest offer of kindness.

He had been doing that a lot lately, hadn't he? To simply reject his friends like this, he truly hated how he was forced to handle such matters.

His lips parted slightly for he was more than ready to apologize to the older girl, even though the way his brow furrowed already told her everything Ibuki needed to know.

But once more he was stopped before speaking by the rather suddenness of the pink-eyes girl separating herself from him. Her action came right on time however, for just between the space in which she had been resting her head before a blur had passed by with such a speed and force that it actually ended up lodging itself on the other end of the wall with a mighty thud.

His head turned slowly towards said wall, only to watch as a folded fan rested firmly on the middle of it.

Then he turned his gaze to the opposite side where the one responsible for throwing the fan stood in obvious rage.

"Tch." Hiyoko clicked her tongue right before folding her remaining fan in her left hand. "I missed…"

"Eh? Are we playing catch now? My turn then!" If Ibuki was affected by the show of hostility then she definitely didn't show it with the way she ran to retrieve the lodged fan right before throwing it like a boomerang towards the shaking blonde that was her classmate.

And right at the middle of the two stood a silent Luckster who could only think of the future to come.

* * *

It always seemed to be mocking him.

The view that he had from the window of his classroom, he could only wonder if it was supposed to be some sort of cruel joke.

It was one of the reasons he made sure to never seat by that side of the room, or else something told him that he would never be able to pay attention in class.

Considering that the window offered a perfect view of the place in which most of his friends had met their deaths, he would like to think that he was justified regarding that belief.

He could do nothing but to glare at the old school building, with deep and slow breaths leaving him from time to time.

Why had he come to his classroom after leaving his senpais? He wasn't sure, he simply felt like he had to if he had to be honest

Almost as if just looking at that cursed building was going to give him some sort of answer.

But it didn't. Of course it wouldn't, for if things were really that easy to figure out he wouldn't be feeling as if he was running in circles.

Right now his two ideas seemed to be dead ends.

Trying to find out whoever had managed to steal stuff from the school while also leaving no trace seemed next to impossible at the moment. He could only hope that once Alter Ego was ready it would lead him to some sort of clue.

His second approach had to do with one of the aspects that for so long had confused about his situation.

The fact that he had underclassmen even to this day still felt a bit weird to him.

Sure, he supposed that it was a natural thing, but he certainly had no memories of ever hearing, let alone seeing any of them back in his time.

Of course, things back then had been different, but wasn't it still weird? Especially considering how Future Foundation had been adamant on preserving Ultimates at any cost and yet he couldn't remember anyone there mentioning someone from what was now known as class 79.

None of them were truly bad people, even with the past actions of some of them he truly believed in all of them, so just thinking that one of them could be Ultimate Despair because of their unexpected existence left a bitter taste in his mouth.

It also raised a lot of question about the whole time-traveling aspect in the first place, but considering how his knowledge of that was pretty limited he was aware that he could only go with the flow on that one.

A tired breath left him just as he moved his gaze from the building. He looked down at his feet for what felt like an eternity with nothing but the light of the evening sun filling the room in an orange hue.

It would get dark at any second now and he knew that he had to leave. He slapped himself on the cheeks slightly; knowing that letting himself get affected so much by this ordeal was the last thing he could allow.

After all, wasn't that the same as admitting his lost against Despair?

* * *

Naegi Makoto… I see… You're doing your best, aren't you?

I should respond in kind then…

Yes, I think it is time…

Aren't _you_ excited? Don't you want to see if he will overcome this?

It is not my fault that you are not able to tell him the truth. Isn't that a proof of your own weakness?

Don't worry, I would never think of harming him like that…

Naegi Makoto gives my life a purpose, after all.

Without him… It would simply not be _fun_ without him around…

…hmm?

How…strange…

I suppose... it is happening faster than I anticipated…

I wonder what will be left of _you_ at this rate.

More reason for it to start then…

Yes, Naegi Makoto…

Let me see how you survive our first _trial_.

* * *

She hummed slightly while her arms lowered the small box in her hands.

She observed her Research Lab with a smile of pride and accomplishment. It was quite well organized after all, and this room was already like a home to her.

She was by herself right now, but she didn't mind. It was quite late after all.

It was a slow tune from her pocket what managed to get her attention.

And with her eyes widening slightly she moved quickly to retrieve her phone, a bit of excitement flashing in her gaze.

But that excitement was quick to turn into dread once she realized who was calling her, her previous smile also turning into a small frown.

She bit her lips, not knowing if to pick up or not.

She had no idea who it was that kept calling her from time to time.

And a part of her _knew_ that talking with this person was wrong…

But…

Those calls always gave her the words that she wanted to hear.

They were soothing, helpful and kind. The voice always advised her and tried to help her when it came to matters that worried her.

The school…Her classmates….

And even the Luckster that she loved…

Even if she had no idea who it was on the other side…

"H-Hello?"

What else could she do but answer?

* * *

 **I'll admit my original plan was to separate this chapter into two parts, but after realizing how short that would make them I decided to just go with one chapter, so here we have a bunch of stuff going on, among them the appearance of the remaining character from the main games that had yet to appear and that bit at the end. This is the final chapter of this arc after all, so I wanted to end it with something like this.**

 **The only good thing about the Student Council not being fleshed out in canon is that I can pretty much do anything I want with them like I showed for this chapter.**

 **For those that wanted more about Ultimate Despair this chapter hints at a lot of things, especially for the next arc. Who was the girl at the end? That is the key for the next arc. I won't confirm anyone's suspicion but feel free to try and guess on your reviews/PMs.**

 **I found Ibuki to be the hardest character to write if I had to be honest, while with Hiyoko I decided to not have her hit her final growth spurt just yet so she's at a middle point right now.**

 **As a tradition, next chapter will be an Interlude one like Nagito's chapter. Which character this time though? I'll leave that as a mystery for now, but to make the list shorter the character is from the original Danganronpa and a girl. Have fun.**

 **Can't say when the next chapter will be though, since with my lack of internet I had to rush up uploading this as a result of me not knowing the next time I'll get a good connection. This is why I haven't answered the reviews and PMs this time, I'll get to those as soon as I can!**

 **Of course, thank you all for having read so far and for your continuous support with all the views, favorites, follows and reviews. There's still a long journey ahead so I can only hope it will be to your like.**

 **Next Chapter: In the Eyes off…**

* * *

 **My Ultimate Romantic Comedy is as Wrong as I Expected**

"Naegi-kun? What are you doing here so late?"

"Maizono-san?" He asked in surprise not expecting someone else to come to the classroom just as he was leaving.

"I thought I had forgotten something, but…" She spoke in an even tone just before she blinked, her eyes darkening with each second to the point it honestly worried the Luckster more than what he would like to admit.

"M-Maizono-san?"

"What's that on your neck, Naegi-kun?" Her voice was devoid of emotion, forcing the Luckster to give on step back just as she moved in a step forward.

"W-what do you-"

"Is that a hickey?"

"N-no it is-" He tried to cover his neck with his hand but it was hard to do when you had the girl suddenly grabbing your wrist.

"Who did it?"

"I-I mean it was Mioda-senpai but-"

"Mioda-senpai? I see."

"I-I don't think you do…"

"Take off your clothes, Naegi-kun."

"What?!"

"I want to make sure she didn't leave any other marks."

"I'm telling you it w-wasn't like th-"

"I'll be sure to replace every single one if she did."

"…"

"…"

"…I think I need an adult now."

And thus the heartwarming (?) romantic comedy of the two continued.


	18. Interlude II

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama.**

 **Interlude II**

 **Writer's Confidant**

As someone with the title of Ultimate, you are one that is considered elite among the elite.

The youth that will guide the masses into a future filled with bright hope, such is the weight that Hope's Peak Academy gives to the title of Ultimate, and for you to carry such a title means that you know this very well.

I will admit, however, that I was a bit concerned about your... _situation_ when considering your invitation into the school.

As Headmaster I _shouldn't_ have allowed such a thing into these halls, which is something I can't deny.

Fortunately, you managed to ease my worries by keeping _that_ in check, and while I am aware of how much that was your own will, I also know you had help with such an endeavor.

Specifically the help of a certain classmate of yours.

That's why you're here in fact, but I'm sure you already understood that much.

You, the Ultimate Writing Prodigy of class 78…

Tell me of your relationship with _him_.

* * *

M-My name is Fukawa Toko, and I'm the Ultimate Writing Prodigy of class 78 of Hope's Peak Academy…

This is dumb…why do I even need to introduce myself like this?

Formalities? I have other things to do, y-you know?

What things? That's private, how rude…!

A-anyway, you just want me to talk about him, right?

That's easy, but where should I start?

He's so kind, selfless, brave, handsome, humble and- why are you laughing?! I'm being s-serious here!

I-in l-love…?! I mean, guh…Asking that about one of your students is creepy!

…but what if I am, huh?

He's my only friend in this school… and he even accepted t-that part of me...I still can't believe it sometimes…

Of course you don't count, Headmaster. Y-you would lose your job if people found out…

Honestly, he's too good for all of those hussies that keep throwing themselves at him.

A-as if he would want a brainless bimbo like them! He likes s-smart girls, you know? H-he told me that himself!

…I don't like that look you have on your face for some reason…

I…really hate _that_ part of me.

It's scary, but he somehow keeps _her_ in check… I feel safer when he's around, sometimes I even forget about it completely.

I don't know how he does it…

I mean…I h-hurt him once…

It might have been _her_ … but it was my fault… Just because I couldn't take the words of that b-bastard…!

There was so much blood…I thought he was going to d-die that day.

I don't know how he forgave me…I know I still haven't…

M-make sure he doesn't know that, alright?

I don't know how he can tolerate that b-bastard either…I was so stupid, why did I try to get that guy to notice me?

With how much he seems to h-hate us I don't even know why he keeps coming to this school…

I'm just glad…that Makoto-sama kept coming back after I tried to make him leave me alone.

W-what do you mean I'm getting ahead of myself? You told me to just talk!

O-our first meeting? Guh…I… M-must I…? I don't like remembering that day…

Ugh…F-fine…

It was the first day of classes actually…

* * *

" _So noisy…" She muttered under her breath with her hands firmly planted on her lap and her face showing quite the frown, her sitting posture telling the world around her that she wanted to be noticed by absolutely no one._

 _Her purple eyes moved around the classroom she currently found herself in, with her frown becoming a notch fiercer each time her gaze fell on one of the individuals that were also in the room with her._

 _Wasn't this supposed to be a school for the elite of the elites? Because then she was far from impressed by her supposedly fellow Ultimates._

 _The obvious thug and the red-eyed boy were way too loud for her taste. Couldn't they keep their voices down?_

 _The jock trying to hit it off with the singer honestly almost made her gag. If it was because of his lame lines or the obviously fake smile that the girl used in response, she wasn't sure. Probably both, she decided._

 _Not that the dark-skinned tomboy flaunting her chest around was any better, and the fat guy trying to describe his works as actual literature was almost insulting._

 _She could only grit her teeth in obvious frustration and annoyance. Why had she expected anything different? It was always like this back in her old school._

 _The first-day class ritual of exchanging cell phone numbers always left a bitter taste in her mouth, after all. In her eyes, it was just a way for dumb popular people to flaunt off the fact that they were, well, popular._

 _Of course she herself never bothered with such. As if she needed to waste her time mingling with obvious buffoons! She was fine by herself anyway. No one had come to bother her in her little corner of the room and that was just what she wanted._

 _And even if someone asked, of course she would have said no without missing a beat!_

 _Not that she was the only one by herself mind you._

 _Or at least that_ had _been the case after their teacher had left them to their own devices._

 _More than a couple of her fellow students had also opted to sit by themselves, but by now the only two that remained such were the lavender-haired aloof girl and the blonde hunk with glasses._

 _Even that black-haired girl with the scary eyes had started talking with the calm buff woman, and the one responsible for such a thing…_

" _Hi there, Fukawa-san!"_

… _was now standing right in front of her desk with a smile filled with so much happiness that she almost felt blinded just by looking at the damn guy!_

 _She stared confusedly at the smiling boy with no small amount of suspicion dancing in her purple orbs. Sure, he looked inoffensive enough, but it wouldn't be the first time she had been tricked by such a thing._

" _My name's Naegi Makoto." The brown-haired teen continued, seemingly unaffected by her lack of response. "Nice to meet you, Fukawa-san."_

 _She didn't see the need to do an introduction if she had to be honest. They had all already stated their names when the teacher had asked anyway, and even if they hadn't, she definitely wouldn't have missed the name of this one._

 _The Ultimate Lucky Student, although why luck was considered a talent was beyond her, had certainly labeled himself in her head as the most impressive poplar guy she ever had the displeasure of meeting._

 _She had believed that if someone would become the top dog it would be someone like the fake idol or the blonde model, who had refused to move her gaze from the Luckster mind you, or at least if the blonde did then she definitely had missed it._

 _But instead, it was the boy with the ahoge that somehow managed to mingle among all the small groups that had been formed in the classroom. Heck, he had probably helped to form a couple of them, almost as if he knew exactly what to say to make them at ease around him, with a few exceptions of course._

 _Like the blonde Adonis sitting on the other side of the room._

 _Not that she would let herself be fooled like most of them anyway, so against such a friendly visage the only thing she could do was to glare spitefully in return._

" _W-what do you want…?" She certainly didn't bother to hide her annoyance at his sudden introduction, that was for sure, but if her harsh tone bothered Makoto in any way he certainly didn't show it in his face._

" _I just wanted to meet everyone properly since we'll be studying together for the next 3 years." His explanation came in the same friendly tone she was learning to associate with the guy._

 _Her gaze showed that she wasn't buying it, however, especially when she focused on the device resting in his right hand, something that Makoto noticed quickly, earning her an embarrassed chuckle from the boy._

" _W-well, I was also wondering if Fukawa-san would like to-"_

" _N-no." She refused before he even got to finish his sentence, finally breaking Makoto's smiling visage and turning it into a small frown. "W-why would you even want my n-number…?"_

" _I just…" The Luckster seemed lost at words at her sudden question for just a second before another awkward smile appeared on his lips. "I want to get to know Fukawa-san more, I guess…"_

 _His words made her blink confusedly behind her glasses for a whole five seconds, just for her gaze to turn into a glare once more. She wasn't going to let herself be fooled by the likes of him, for she had more than learned her lesson by now in that regard._

" _You're lying…" She whispered with venom, earning a surprised stare from her new classmate. While she wasn't the best with people she was certainly no idiot, and even she could tell that there was something more. "You just want to make fun of me, don't you?!"_

" _W-what? Of course not!"_

" _Lier!" She even went as far as to point at him with her finger while gritting her teeth in frustration and sneering in anger. "I bet you would even make prank calls if I gave it to you!"_

 _She could already picture such a thing on her head. The so-called_ nice guy _inviting the dumb girl somewhere just for him to never show up, leaving her by herself for hours as she waited for someone that would never come._

 _How despicable._

 _He looked truly confused by her words, but it wasn't something that she cared about by now. In fact, this whole conversation had been a waste of time if she had to describe it anyway, so with a quiet huff she simply moved her head to the side, hoping that the boy would finally get the hint and leave her alone._

" _Sorry…" Her wish came true after a few seconds later, with the defeated sigh that left Makoto's lips bringing her attention back to him from the corner of her eyes._

 _She didn't expect the rather sad smile that the brown-haired teen gave her before leaving quietly. It was almost as if he had expected her to reject his invitation from the start._

 _She just huffed once more however, deciding to simply go back to not-so-subtly admire the handsome blue-eyed blonde that was now her classmate._

 _Honestly, if Naegi Makoto knew he wasn't going to fool her in the first place then he shouldn't have even bothered!_

* * *

 _She loved this place._

 _It was probably her favorite spot in the entirety of Hope's Peak Academy._

 _And that was saying a lot considering it had taken that spot away from her own Research Lab no less._

 _Don't get her wrong, she loved that Research Lab dearly, for it had everything she might have needed when it came to writing._

 _The fact that it was pretty isolated and no one except the occasional teacher or rude intruder would go to bother her there only made it even better. She even preferred to sleep there sometimes rather than on her own room!_

 _However, this particular spot of the library had suddenly earned not only her approval but most definitely a special place in her heart._

 _It was quiet, peaceful, no one really came here even!_

 _What made this particular location so perfect to her, however…_

" _Ahh…Byakuya-sama…!"_

… _definitely had to do with the wonderful view that she had._

 _Her whisper was accompanied by a hungry look on her face, with the adoration shining in her gaze aimed at the figure sitting by himself on another table resting on the opposite side of the library._

 _She never missed this time of the day in which her beloved would simply sit there while devouring the books that Hope's Peak had to offer with his eyes in silence. It was such a hypnotic sight if she had to describe it, one that she wouldn't mind getting lost to every single day of her life._

 _The focused, stoic look that she could see from her seat was enough to make her shiver in delight._

 _For Togami Byakuya was different from everyone else she had met. He was on a completely different level from the rest of the school, someone that actually_ did _deserve the title of Ultimate._

 _The way that he handled their class was proof enough of that. Just seeing him putting them in their places was enough to make her sigh in content. He was able to see through their fake friendliness and easily crush it with mere words._

 _Not even the annoying so-called Ultimate Lucky Student could get past those beautiful cold blue eyes of her beloved, something that truly put him above everyone in the school considering how hung up a lot of their senpais seemed to be over their brown-haired Class Representative._

 _Seriously, what did they even see in that guy? Not like it mattered to her anyway, for as long as no one came to bother her special moment with one Togami Byakuya she couldn't care less for the rest of the students._

" _Ano… Fukawa-san?"_

 _Sadly, it seemed that a certain someone had not gotten the memo yet._

 _Her previously delighted expression had quickly turned into a sour one as soon as that voice reached her ears. She didn't even need to turn her gaze to know who it was after all, for she had certainly gotten tired of hearing to that same preachy voice day after day._

 _She still, albeit painfully, moved her gaze from the object of her love to the opposite side of her table, right where the annoying newcomer was now standing with his ever-present disgusting smile on his face._

 _Truly, wasn't Naegi Makoto too busy to even come to a place like this? Or at least that was the impression she got._

 _Not that she had personally cared or anything, but it even got her curiosity considering how her beloved himself seemed interested as to why someone like Naegi Makoto seemed to disappear into the Headmaster's office almost daily._

 _In her opinion, Byakuya-sama could spend his valuable time doing other things rather than to pay attention to an untrustworthy guy like this!_

" _W-what do you want…?" Even now her obviously annoyed tone was fully present when regarding the Luckster, for that was the perfect way in which she could describe one Naegi Makoto: Annoying._

 _Why did the brown-haired boy insist on trying to talk to her every day before or after class was simply beyond her. She had thought that by just ignoring him he would simply get bored and just continue to play around with his ever-growing fan base, but the fact that he was in front of her certainly proved that one wrong._

 _What upset her the most though, was that she just couldn't figure out his angle. She knew people could go to great lengths to make fun of others, but this boy was being way too persistent and stubborn for her taste._

 _Besides, anyone that took her time away from her beloved would get no favor with her._

" _I just…wanted to study for a bit and I thought this would be a good place," Makoto explained before taking a seat in front of her while keeping his brown eyes locked with her own grey ones. "The course has been a bit harder than I thought it would be…"_

 _She actually snorted after hearing that. Of course, everything would be hard if you wasted time playing popular with half of the class and every single senior out there._

" _D-do it somewhere e-else then…" She said through gritted teeth before turning her gaze away once more, instantly feeling better as soon as her eyes once more landed on the perfect specimen that was her beloved._

 _She hoped that the Luckster would get a hint already and leave her by herself._

" _Fukawa-san is really smart though!" Her wishes weren't granted, however, for Makoto certainly had no issues with just taking a seat, almost as if her words had never reached his ears. Was he now deaf or something?!_

 _She didn't react to his praise either, for it wasn't such a big deal in the first place. Excluding her amazing beloved, the only ones that could brag about their grades besides herself were that quiet detective girl, the meek techno little girl, and that scary gambling cosplayer._

 _Flattery was going to get him nowhere though, so she simply continued to ignore him._

 _His next words were more than enough to get her attention though._

" _I was actually wondering if Fukawa-san could help me a bit with that…"_

 _Her eyes widened at the request, with an honest expression of surprise filling her face. Of all things Makoto had ever said to her, this one was a first._

" _Never…!" It didn't take long for her to answer though, for the last thing that she wanted to waste her time with was with teaching Naegi Makoto. "G-go ask someone else."_

" _B-but… I really want it to be Fukawa-san!" It seemed her words would not be enough to stop the stubborn teen. Did he dislike her that much that he could only bother her with this? Was that it?!_

" _You're annoying!" She hissed at him with a harsh tone while still doing her best to ignore him. He was ruining her favorite part of the day! "D-don't you see you're distracting me? Just l-leave!" If she didn't treasure her alone time with her beloved she would have already left him by himself in fact!_

 _He finally stopped annoying her though, although he seemed to not want to leave. It didn't matter then, for being able to watch over Byakuya-sama was more than worth having to tolerate Makoto's presence. As long as he kept his thoughts to himself, she was more than happy with pretending that the only people in the world were her beloved and her._

" _You…really like Togami-kun, don't you…?" It was a weird tone the one that Makoto used to say those words. So weird in fact that it actually got her to look at him from the corner of her eyes, right on time to see him giving such a lost look at the direction in which their blonde classmate was sitting that it surprised her._

 _It was the first time she saw him not sporting either a dumb, apologetic or nervous smile._

 _But as soon as it came it was gone, and instead, it was replaced with a sheepish look while he scratched the back of his head with his hand._

" _Of course I do!" She spoke without missing a beat, with a shaky smile appearing on her lips. "He's perfect and everything I could have dreamed of!" Her elation turned sour quickly after though. "Not that someone like you would understand…"_

" _I guess not…" At least he agreed with her on that regard it seemed. "I just…don't get it…."_

" _Not like it matters. Our love is simply too much for you!"_

 _The boy seemed to fall into deep thought after that, almost as if he was thinking of how to go from here. Had he finally realized that she wouldn't be fooled by his nice guy act?_

" _Then maybe…" He started slowly while offering her a look filled with awkwardness. "I could maybe help you with…that?"_

 _She actually ended up just staring at him after hearing that, trying to process what he was implying with such an offer. Was Naegi Makoto actually offering to help her with her love life?_

… _What kind of sick joke was this supposed to be?_

 _As if she needed_ his _help of all things!_

" _I-I mean…!" It seemed that the anger showed in her face if his reaction was anything to go by. "I know how…busy Togami-kun can get, so I just wanted to help Fukawa-san with that..."_

 _She had to begrudgingly agree with Makoto on that regard, for her beloved was certainly a busy man, to the point that times like this in which she could just watch over him were extremely rare._

 _She mulled over his words for a few moments. While it was obviously just a trick, the actual possibility of getting closer her Byakuya-sama was also too good to pass up._

" _H-how…?" Such a thought brought more than a few queries into the mix however, namely how exactly would someone like Makoto help her with such a thing in the first place._

" _Well…" It seemed he himself didn't know the answer to such a thing, and she would have complained about wasting her time if he hadn't continued talking. "I think…maybe I could put the two of you together for a project…?"_

 _He seemed uncertain about his own suggestion, something that did little to assure her of what he could actually do. Sure, she knew that as Class Representative he had some leeway, but was that actually allowed?_

" _Y-you can do that?" She asked with doubt, to which he seemingly nodded slowly while touching his chin with his fingers._

" _Kizakura-sensei can be a bit…lax." It was painful to her how hard he tried to not badmouth their alcoholic Homeroom teacher if she had to be honest. "So I'm sure he would let me arrange everything next time it's a group project…"_

 _She hated to admit it but it sounded believable enough. Wouldn't be the first time their excuse of a teacher had just let the Luckster do something that he should be doing, like calling for attendance._

 _But even so…_

" _W-why…would you want to help m-me…?" She found herself asking that without even realizing it, for even now she just couldn't get what his angle was. Was he just that bored? Was this still a trick just to humiliate her? Maybe he had made a bet with someone to see for how long he could upset her…_

 _And in response, however, he simply looked at her with such an open gratefulness that she almost recoiled in response._

 _For whatever reason someone like Naegi Makoto giving her such a look was simply beyond everything she knew, especially considering how she had refused to help him just a few minutes before._

 _It didn't change the fact that it was the first time someone looked at her in such a way._

" _I just…don't like to see Fukawa-san lonely… And if Togami-kun makes you happy then, I want to help."_

 _She honestly had to move her gaze down just to escape the honesty that was on display quite clearly on his brown eyes. She didn't know what to say to that, and although some harsh words were already at the tip of her tongue, she ended up just gulping nervously instead, for this was the first time she didn't feel like snapping at him._

" _S-sorry if I made you uncomfortable…" A hint of shame made itself present in his voice, but she still refused to raise her head to look at him properly. "I just want to help Fukawa-san…"_

 _But even so, she kept silent, even after she heard him sigh in defeat. She just didn't know how to handle this right now, so maybe if she ignored him once more he would finally leave her be?_

 _This time it worked, however, and in less than a minute, she found herself alone once more, her body slightly shivering. The sound of a chair scraping the floor and a last muttered apology from the Luckster made that one pretty clear to her even without raising her gaze to confirm._

 _Chewing her lip in clear annoyance, she didn't know who was upsetting her the most right now, Naegi Makoto for distracting her with empty words, or herself for believing for a moment that those words hadn't been empty promises in the first place._

* * *

"… _Group 3 is going to be Fukawa, Togami, and Naegi." Their teacher spoke in a lazy tone while writing the names on the board._

 _And while normally she would have hardly cared for his words or the collective groans of disappointment that left most of her classmates, this time the announcement not only got her attention, but it made her stare at the board with her name on it with nothing but open shock._

 _A shock that was quickly replaced by nothing but elation and excitement._

 _Wasn't this the perfect proof of her love being a matter of fate itself? She was almost drooling in anticipation, for now she had an excuse to spend time together with her beloved!_

 _Now he wouldn't be able to just push her away like he usually did! It was perfect!_

 _In fact, the only reason she didn't move her gaze to smile at the object of her desire was the fact that her mind finally caught on the last name that the teacher both said and wrote._

 _Her whole body froze almost instantly after that, with her eyes widening behind her glasses quite a lot. She was no fool nor she was an idiot, so even though she wanted nothing more than to believe that destiny itself had put her in the same group as her prince, she was also easily able to put two and two together._

 _Especially considering the little conversation she had with the Luckster in the library, which still refused to leave her mind even days later after the fact. Why couldn't her brain just go back to fantasizing about the perfect future?!_

 _But no, for instead of watching over her Byakuya-sama she now had the urge to throw a glance at the brown-haired boy that had said he would help her, something that she would have done quite easily…_

" _Sorry about that, Fukawa-san, but Kizakura-sensei insisted on the groups being made of three students."_

… _If the guy himself hadn't moved to sit right beside her while showing her an apologetic smile, one that had her eyebrow very much twitching._

 _Her face scrunched up at the sight of the smiling teen, only that this time it was a reaction mostly out of confusion rather than outright dislike._

 _And with his words, it certainly seemed that her suspicion had been proven correct, although even just admitting in her mind that Naegi Makoto had actually helped her ended up becoming quite the bitter pill to swallow._

" _Y-you…" She started slowly, honestly not knowing what to say. Was she supposed to thank him right now? A part of her wanted to just go back to ignore him once more, but for some reason, such a thought left another bitter taste in her mouth._

 _What she did know, however, was that she didn't like to feel indebted to someone._

" _Hmm? Fukawa-san?" The Luckster that was now plaguing her thoughts asked with a tilt of his head, for she could only guess that her inner struggle was showing on her face._

 _But with a small click of her tongue, she gave the boy a narrowed gaze, one that seemed to put him on edge for some reason. How rude! And here she was, actually trying to give him the benefit of the doubt._

" _T-t-thank y-"_

" _Let's get this over with."_

 _Her words ended up dying in her throat as soon as the commanding voice that could only belong to her beloved filled her ears. Instead, she just spluttered in embarrassment before quickly turning to look at her Byakuya-sama's blue eyes._

" _O-Of course, Byakuya-sama…!" She was sure that her face wore nothing but a dopey smile, but she didn't care. Nothing was going to ruin this moment for her._

 _Not her beloved's slightly disgusted expression nor Makoto's awkward fumbling._

 _And certainly not the jealousy-filled look that she could see coming from that flossy idol from the corner of her eyes. Not her fault the girl had bad taste!_

* * *

" _That was perfect…!"_

" _I think that's a bit subjective…"_

" _The way in which he took control of everything was just m-marvelous!"_

" _That's…one way of describing it, I guess…"_

" _He was so dashing, so caring, so focused!"_

"… _Are we still talking about Togami-kun?"_

 _A content sigh was her next response, for she couldn't care less if the Luckster walking beside her didn't understand the brilliance of her Byakuya-sama. It was better like that since she certainly didn't need competition for her beloved's attention._

 _Their first meeting as a group had gone without a hitch, and if she had to be honest even Makoto's presence hadn't bothered her_ that _much. There were certainly worse people that she could have on her group, namely everyone else from their class._

 _At least Makoto tried to pull his weight, she supposed._

 _But the fact was that, even though they had just left the library where they had decided to meet, she already couldn't wait for their next reunion!_

 _The project itself that they had to work on wasn't particularly demanding or anything since it was just about the history of Hope's Peak Academy, so she could even use most of that time to focus on her dear beloved…_

 _The fact that Makoto seemed really informed about the school for some reason helped too in that regard._

 _Speaking of Naegi Makoto…_

" _W-why are you following m-me…?" Her daydreaming state was broken once she realized that the Luckster had been walking to her side through Hope's Peak halls every since they had left the library._

 _And since she was currently getting closer to her own room here in Hope's Peak she honestly had no idea why Makoto was still around her. She knew by now that the boy didn't live here like her and some of their classmates did, so what was he doing exactly?_

" _W-well…" It seemed not even the Luckster himself knew of his own reasons, but he was quick to masked it away with a wry smile. "I wanted to make sure Fukawa-san reached her room safely, I guess…"_

 _He honestly didn't sound that convinced of his own words, something that made her give him a narrowed gaze. She ended up just huffing to the side however, simply labeling it as a habit for guys like him. He probably did it all the time with that Idol or Swimmer anyway._

" _Y-you can leave already then…" She whispered, barely high enough so that Makoto could hear her, as soon as they reached the door of her room. It was getting a bit late after all, and the last thing she needed was unnecessary rumors that could make her beloved misunderstand something._

" _Right…" Makoto answered slowly and with a nod before showing her a small smile. "I'll… see you tomorrow then, Fukawa-san."_

 _She only nodded in response, getting a low chuckle from the Luckster before he started walking away from her._

 _However, without even realizing it she had moved her gaze to his retreating back, with a thought that had been plaguing her mind for a while once more making itself present in her head._

 _She…owed him a bit, didn't she?_

 _This wonderful day with her Byakuya-sama had been a direct result of Naegi Makoto's actions, and while she still couldn't just believe that he was doing it just for the sake of helping, for she knew there was no one that would give a damn about helping_ her _of all people, it didn't change the fact that he_ had _helped her._

 _And she really didn't like feeling indebted to someone, for it opened a can of worms that she preferred not to touch. She could already even picture it on her head, for the Luckster to one day suddenly ask something from her that would get her in some sort of trouble and she wouldn't be able to refuse._

 _She would rather get rid of that possibility before it became a reality._

" _W-wait!" So it was with conflicting thoughts that she called out to him before he walked too far, and while for a moment she feared that her sudden words had not reached him, such thing proved to be false once the Luckster stopped on his track in order to turn his head to look at her over his shoulder._

" _Do you…" She started slowly with her gaze shifting from side to side, not daring to look straight at the boy. "s-still need help with the material…?"_

 _She told herself that the heat that she could feel on her cheeks was born out of nothing but exasperation._

 _But once she didn't get an immediate answer, she finally moved her gaze up to look at his eyes, wondering if he hadn't heard her this time._

 _The only thing she saw though, was another of those smiles that threatened to leave her blind._

 _She was already regretting her decision._

* * *

" _If that will be all then..."_

" _W-wait, Byakuya-sama…!" She called out to the raising blonde, who only regarded her with a raised eyebrow as a result of her sudden yelp, making her flush in consequence of being the sudden center of his attention._

" _What?" He spoke in clear annoyance, actually making her gulp a bit in nervousness. She knew that her beloved was a busy man, but surely if someone could help her with her issue it was him!_

" _I-I…" She started slowly and with her eyes glued to the floor, with nothing but nervousness eating her on the inside. "I…wanted to a-ask B-Byakuya-sama for help…with my w-writer's block…"_

 _She hated to admit it, but the fact was that she had not been able to think of anything she found good enough to write about. Every idea that came to her head just sounded too dumb, like one of those cheap light novels that the fat guy from her class kept ranting about from time to time._

 _It hurt her pride to not be able to do her craft, but surely if someone could help her, it was her Byakuya-sama! She knew she was being selfish by asking for his time like this, but surely he would understand!_

 _The narrowed gaze she received from those cold blue eyes did little to ease her nervousness, however…_

" _Why would I bother with something like that?" Her Byakuya-sama responded in an aloof yet harsh tone, one that made her feel as if something had pierced right through her chest. "The way I see it if you can't even write by yourself, then you have no reason to even be in this school in the first place."_

 _And with no more words between them, her Master simply left the library in with silent footsteps, leaving her helplessly sitting on her chair with her gaze down and her body shaking while her hands grabbed tightly at her rather long version of the school uniform's skirt._

 _Stupid stupid stupid stupid! She was an idiot through and through, a fool with no purpose! How could she even think that her beloved would have the time to bother himself with her issues? It was like he had just said, how could she be in a school for the elite like him if she couldn't even go past something as silly as a writer's block?_

 _And yet, while she kept telling herself that he had been right… it still did little to change the pain that was coursing through her chest._

" _Fukawa-san?"_

 _Ah, right, she almost forgot that she wasn't alone right now._

" _W-what?" She spoke while doing her best to hide the hitch in her throat, glaring at the third member of their group. "G-going to make f-fun of me n-now?" He would, wouldn't he? For even if Naegi Makoto acted like a nice guy, there was no way someone would pass up the chance of mocking her after witnessing such a spectacle._

" _Of course not!" Makoto denied it vehemently however while looking at her with what she could only describe as sadness. "Togami-kun wasn't being fair with you…"_

" _What would y-you know…?" She murmured under her breath, only making the Luckster shake his head in response._

" _Not much I guess…" He started before giving her a strange look that she couldn't describe properly. "But maybe…I could help you with that a bit…?"_

" _Y-you?" She blinked owlishly at her classmate with more than obvious doubt sipping into her tone._

" _I know I'm not the best at this…" His words only made her snort slightly. "But I've already read Fukawa-san's work before so…maybe I could help you with something!"_

 _Now_ that _actually surprised her quite a bit._

" _You read my w-work…?" She asked in open surprise, for never in a million years had she expected for someone like Naegi Makoto to have read her work. He was definitely away from the main demographic after all, and she just believed that most guys his age wouldn't even bother with something like that._

" _Of course I did!" This time it was an enthusiastic smile the one that appeared on his face, one that for some reason had her looking at everything except him. She hated to admit it but knowing that Makoto had read it actually made her feel more embarrassed than what she would have preferred. "And it was amazing! My mom and sister loved it too, and I think dad liked it too but he just likes to act like he didn't…you're just that good, Fukawa-san."_

 _Of course, she knew that her book, 'So Lingers The Ocean' had been extremely well received, but to hear such praise like this face to face was not something she was used to._

" _Fukawa-san?" Suddenly going silent seemed to be enough to draw concern from the brown-haired boy, but she couldn't help it. For some reason she found herself being tongue-tied to the point that it took her almost a minute to recover herself enough to speak._

" _T-talk then…" And even then her voice only came out in a quivering whisper. "Y-you said you w-would help…" Only then was she able to raise her head a bit to look straight at his eyes. "S-so I'm listening…"_

 _She saw him blink at her twice then, followed quickly by a smile that her feeling tongue-tied once more for reasons she couldn't even understand._

" _Why don't you just write about what you're actually feeling? Write from the heart I mean."_

* * *

' _Write from the heart' he had told her._

 _And as much as it shocked to admit it, Naegi Makoto had given her extremely good advice._

 _She couldn't deny it even if she wanted to, for the result of his advice was resting right in front of her eyes in the form of a stack of paper._

 _The words written in the papers were the proof of that fact because even if it had taken her a couple of weeks it didn't change the fact that her writer's block was gone._

 _She honestly couldn't believe it to the point that she had been staring at her new manuscript without even moving from almost ten minutes already._

 _She breathed a slow sigh after a while, truly glad that no one came to bother her here in her Research Lab._

 _Now that she had finished her work however, there was only one thing left to do now with her newly written piece of work._

" _I should show it to that guy first…" She murmured just as she made a move to pick up on the manuscript, although she ended up stopping her hand inches away from the stack of papers, a sudden wave of nervousness hitting her out of a sudden._

… _but would he like it though…?_

 _She suddenly shook her head, doing her best to get rid of such thoughts. Of course he would like it, it was the best thing she had ever written! But even if he didn't, why was she suddenly worrying about that guy's opinion?_

 _Shouldn't she show this to her Byakuya-sama first? Surely even he would praise her if he read such a thing!_

 _But for some reason, she found herself a bit more excited about showing it to the Luckster though…_

 _Was it because he had helped her in the first place? It had to be that, right? If so then, maybe writing some extra to show her…appreciation would also help!_

 _But what to write? A short story? Or maybe a poem?_

 _But did he like poems? Would he like_ her _poem?_

 _Maybe she could also-_

 _Her mind stopped dead in her tracks, with a small gasp suddenly leaving her lips as soon as she realized what she was doing._

 _When had she started thinking so much about Naegi Makoto of all people?_

* * *

 _She hated blonde girls._

 _It sounded awfully specific, that much she was aware off, but it was the only way of describing how she was feeling right now as she hid behind the corner of one of Hope Peak's hallways._

 _And the reason for her to be biting her thumb to the point of almost drawing blonde had to do with the smirking blonde model standing right in front of both her Byakuya-sama and Naegi Makoto._

 _Enoshima Junko…_

 _She had found the blonde twat talking to her beloved Master on her way to the library, forcing her to hide on the corner to see if she could gather anything that the two were talking about._

 _The last thing she had wanted, after all, was someone else going after her Byakuya-sama._

 _The already annoying situation had become somehow stranger once Makoto had suddenly appeared and joined the conversation, although with the way he was standing in front of her Master one would think he was protecting him or something._

 _It was a very well known fact that Makoto wasn't a big fan of Enoshima Junko, and it was something that became extremely obvious considering how he interacted with everyone else besides the model._

 _She didn't know from where the animosity came from, but even from here she could tell that even her Byakuya-sama seemed a bit surprised by Makoto's behavior._

 _The fact that the always harmless Luckster suddenly grabbed Junko's wrist and started dragging her away only made his behavior even weirder if that was possible._

 _She was forced to move away from her hiding spot a bit, gluing herself to the wall to make sure that the incoming Luckster didn't see her. She didn't know why she was doing this, but for some reason, she just didn't want to be found by him right now._

 _It worked somehow though, Makoto certainly didn't notice her as he walked past her with a rather delighted looking Junko right behind him._

 _Enoshima Junko did, however, notice her though._

 _And she made that really apparent with the way she threw her a look and a grin from over her shoulder._

 _A gesture that, for reasons beyond her, sent shivers down her spine._

* * *

" _Tell me, Naegi, were you aware of the fact that Fukawa Toko here is also known as the serial killer Genocider Jack?"_

 _It was as if her whole world came crashing down right in front of her, and there was nothing she could do to stop it from happening._

 _A gasp left her lips just as her whole body trembled. She gave a step back, trying to believe that her ears had heard everything wrong, or that this was some sort of nightmare._

 _It wasn't, however, and she knew that._

" _She has probably killed around half a dozen guys already." Her beloved, the only man that she had trusted her secret to, kept talking in a tone that left no room for mercy. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted for either of us to become her next victim."_

 _No no no no no no no!_

 _It wasn't her! It was never her! It was always_ that _monster! Why, why was he doing this? She had trusted him with that secret, and he had told her that he would keep it as such between them, so why…?!_

 _She would never harm him willingly! Not him and certainly not-_

" _But it seems you already knew that, didn't you? Naegi Makoto…"_

 _Those next words made her feel as if someone had stabbed her in the chest, with shallow breaths leaving her and cold sweat going down her forehead. Her eyes were as wide as they could get just as she slowly moved her gaze from her Byakuya-sama to the third teen standing a few feet away from her._

 _And it was like he had said, for Naegi Makoto certainly looked surprised, but not as shocked as anyone should be after receiving such news. In fact, he looked almost resignedly defeated, as if he had expected this outcome but truly had hoped otherwise._

 _What was the meaning of this…?!_

" _If you come to bother me ever again, Fukawa, I swear I will reveal this to everyone. Consider this your last warning."_

" _Togami-kun!" Makoto's yell sounded hollow to her ears, and before she realized it she could already feel the wetness traveling down from her eyes. When was the last time she had openly sobbed like this? She couldn't remember, she thought that she had become strong enough to shy away from such actions…_

" _Fukawa-san," Makoto spoke slowly in an almost pleading tone, his gaze focused solely on her with such intensity that it made her give another step back without realizing it. "Please, let me explain first!"_

 _No, she didn't want any explanation, she didn't know what was happening but right now she didn't care either._

 _She didn't want to hear anything else. Any more words would just break her apart even more. She couldn't take it, she couldn't take it from the man that she had loved and she wouldn't survive if they also came from the teen that she was starting to think off as a friend._

 _She needed to leave, she needed to get out here,_ now **.**

 _She put her hands over her ears before bolting out of the place as quick as possible, completely ignoring the cries of her name coming from behind her. In the back of her head, she realized that it was only Makoto's voice the one calling out her name in concern._

 _Did her Byakuya-sama care so little about her?_

 _And to think that the sudden night call that she had received from her Master to come to the library would end up like this…_

 _She ran as fast as her legs could take it, although the tears never stopped flowing from her eyes. Had it been her fault for putting her trust in her Byakuya-sama? Was she just meant to be alone forever, was that it?_

 _A dark whisper in her mind, however, told her that she would_ never _be alone._

 _Before she noticed she was already reaching the door of her room._

 _She pretty much barged in without missing a beat, but it was such an abrupt action that her feet got tangled in her rather long skirt._

 _She had no time to react before the front side of her body met the cold floor of her room, but even as she lied there the only thing that she could do was to let the tear flow down on the floor, sniffing every second and a sob leaving her throat whenever she tried to hold it back._

 _She could only guess how disgusting she must have looked right now…_

 _No wonder her Byakuya-sama hated her so much, for who could truly even care about someone like her?_

 _She opened her mouth slightly, a sudden urge filling her body. It was one that she always did her best to control, to avoid for the monster inside of her to dirty her own hands with blood._

 _But right now, as she lied there feeling like the biggest mistake in the world, she truly couldn't have cared less for whatever happened to_ them _._

" _Fukawa-san!"_

 _A familiar cry of her name was the last thing she heard before the world went black, with the last thing she did being leaving out a small sneeze._

* * *

 _The next time she opened her eyes, it was the ceiling of her room the first thing that caught her gaze._

 _A small groan left her lips, knowing that she should move up from the floor but honestly feeling too tired to do so._

 _Before she had time to wonder how she had ended up there though, all the memories of the past half an hour filled her mind. Her being called to the library, her beloved revealing her secret and threatening her to do so again if she bothered him, the sorry state that such an announcement had left her and…_

 _Makoto… and then she had…_

 _A gasp left her soon enough, for it was only then that a rather familiar smell filled her nose, one that had her shaking in nothing but open fright._

 _She raised her body slowly, hoping and praying to every god above that nothing had happened._

" _Fukawa-san…glad you have you back."_

 _The only response that her pleading got though, was a sight that almost had her screaming in despair._

 _For on the opposite side of the room was the closest thing she ever had to a friend, Naegi Makoto, the Class Representative of class 78, kneeling on the floor, with what looked like scissors firmly lodged in both of his legs and one of his arms._

 _Crimson blood flowed through the wounds, turning the boy's clothes into red quite easily. Almost a dozen scissors must have been buried in his body, and it didn't take her even a second to know what had happened._

 _She put a hand over her mouth, as she could already feel the bile threatening to leave her stomach. Tears once more went down her face in response to the obvious agony that Makoto displayed._

" _Fukawa-san…" The boy spoke through pained breaths right before trying to stand up. Keyword being trying though, for not even a second later an obvious gasp of pain left him just as he came tumbling down on the floor with a thud._

 _The sight of his bloodied body hitting the floor was enough to take her out of her shock, getting her to crawl as quickly as she could to where he was._

" _No no no, this can't be…" There was nothing but panic in her voice as she came closer to him, but once she did she was quick to extend her hand towards him._

 _But as soon as she did, the only thing that filled her gaze was the red that was already covering her hands._

 _She knew what had happened, for she wasn't dumb._

 _But seeing it firsthand…_

 _This time, nothing stopped the agonizing shriek that left her._

* * *

" _Fukawa-san…?"_

 _The sound of his voice was enough to make her raise her head from where it had been resting between her arms, a small gasp leaving her once her gaze met the confused brown eyes of the boy resting on the infirmary bed._

 _She opened her mouth to say something,_ anything _, but nothing came out, not even the apology that she so badly wanted to give him._

 _Instead, she simply stared almost dumbly at the obviously tired boy, who only blinked in response before throwing a look around the room, his rather pale face telling her that he was able to put two and two together quite easily._

 _A small hiss of obvious pain left Makoto once he tried to raise his body from the bed, almost immediately forcing her to stand. She wanted to walk closer, or at least tell him to not force himself, but once more she simply couldn't do a thing._

 _She felt like she didn't deserve it. It was her fault that he was even in that state in the first place, after all. What right did she have to talk to him, let alone see him?_

 _She had known this, but she had still forced herself to be here. She just_ had _to know that he would be safe, that he would recover…that she hadn't killed her only friend…_

 _Her lips quivered just as her whole body did. She was already expecting to see the hatred in his gaze, or maybe even fear. Heck, she could already hear him telling her to back off, threatening to tell the police if she even said a word to him._

 _Makoto's eyes finally landed on her form, and as soon as his lips parted she closed her eyes, already preparing herself for the words to come._

" _Onii-chan!"_

 _The sudden girly voice was_ not _what she had expected._

 _She opened her eyes right on time to see a younger girl suddenly entering the room and pretty much throwing herself at the bedridden boy, who looked to be barely able to catch her._

" _K-Komaru…?" She heard Makoto speak in surprise, although based on his expression it was pretty obvious that he was holding a hiss of pain. "W-what are you doing here?"_

" _They called from the school, said that something happened to you…" Even though the girl's voice came out muffled she was still able to hear it clearly enough."I called mom and dad, they're coming here already."_

 _She could have sworn she saw the strand of hair resting on top of the girl's head moving by itself as soon as said girl raised her head to look at Makoto with obvious concern._

" _W-what happened, Onii-chan?!" Who could she only assume was Makoto's little sister asked as she looked at the bandaged form of the brown-haired teen. This girl, Komaru, was not the only one going pale at the sight of the bandages._

" _Well…" Makoto started before giving her a look and a smile, one that simply had her frowning in confusion. "It was an accident actually…but I think Fukawa-san here found help before it got worse…"_

 _She had not expected to hear such words coming from the Luckster, but that surprise paled in comparison to the one she had next._

 _It wasn't every day you had a younger girl suddenly hugging you to death, after all._

" _Thank you thank you!" Komaru repeated on her shoulder, although she wasn't able to give her any type of response. Instead, she could only give Makoto a bewildered look._

 _Why the hell was he smiling at them as if everything was right in the world?!_

" _It seems your injuries weren't as serious as they looked, Naegi Makoto-kun."_

 _Another voice finally got the younger Naegi to release her hold on her, and it was the owner of said voice the one that became the center of attention._

 _Hope's Peak Headmaster stood by the door, with their Homeroom teacher standing right behind him._

 _Kirigiri Jin entered the infirmary in a calm fashion, and she could see how the man simply gave the Luckster in the bed a raised eyebrow before turning his gaze towards her, actually making her gulp with how pointed his stare was._

" _I apologize for the abruptness, Naegi-san, Fukawa-san, but I would like to speak with my student alone for a moment." The oldest Kirigiri she knew then looked straight at Makoto, who seemed unable to meet his gaze. "I just want to get the…right facts of what happened."_

 _This was how it ended for her, wasn't it? Makoto would tell everything that happened to the Headmaster, and then she would either be expelled or outright treated as the criminal that she was._

" _Now c'mon young ladies," Kizakura-sensei spoke next with an easygoing smile, one that did little to ease her worries. "Let's see what we can find on this place while the adults talk."_

 _And while it was obvious to her that Makoto's sister wanted nothing but to stay, the girl still relented after a few words from the Luckster himself._

 _She followed silently herself, knowing that whatever came to her it was probably what she deserved. She still gave Makoto one last look, fearing that it would only the last time she would see him._

 _The smile he gave her as she left though, somehow managed to calm her even if it had been for just a bit._

* * *

 _The wait felt eternal to her._

 _Her nervousness and anxiety left her unable to do anything but fear the worse, although by now she knew that the worse was pretty much the inevitable too._

 _She felt so tired too, exhausted even. She hadn't slept at all yesterday, instead just preferring to wait for Makoto to wake up._

 _Her body felt sluggish as she sat in the middle of her bed with her knees close to her body and her arms hugging them._

 _A shaky breath left her lips just as she raised her head from between her arms just a bit, only enough so that she could see something that was more than able to leave her in a cold sweat and gasping for breath._

 _Namely, the blood stain that was clearly visible close to the door._

 _She didn't know what was worse to be honest._

 _If being aware that she had been the one responsible for that…_

 _Or knowing that the blood had belonged to Makoto himself._

 _She could still feel the warm liquid in her hands…_

 _It made her feel sick, almost to the point that she felt like emptying her stomach right there and there._

 _Her feelings towards blood itself weren't helping either._

 _She grabbed her head with her fingers, feeling like pulling the hair out of her head in sheer frustration. Why, why did she have to be like that? Why did she have to have a monster inside of her?!_

 _Would it be better if she just disappeared? To go as far away from possible to make sure that_ she _didn't harm anyone else?_

 _She was sure no one would miss her if she did. Her family couldn't care less for her, her classmates were sick of her, the love of her life pretty much despised her, and Makoto…_

 _He probably wanted nothing to do with her by now._

 _Not that she would blame him…_

" _I kept knocking but you didn't answer, Fukawa-san."_

 _Almost as if he had read her thoughts from far away, it was the Luckster himself the one that entered her room in a slow fashion before closing the door behind him._

 _She would have thought this to be a dream if her eyes hadn't instantly zeroed in on the bandages covering his arms and on the obvious discomfort that he had with each movement._

" _I asked for Headmaster-san to give me his key, I thought you would try to lock yourself in," Makoto spoke while raising the hand that was holding what she could only guess was the Headmaster's card-key._

 _Before, she would have definitely complained about the sudden intrusion to her privacy, but right now the only thing she could do was to hide her head between her arms once more, already dreading what was to come._

" _Fukawa-san…"_

 _She knew the words that would come out of his mouth before he even said them. How could she not? She had already imagined in her head almost a million times._

 _But even though she already knew what was coming, it didn't make it any easier to hear._

" _I'm sorry for what I did, Fukawa-san!"_

… _what?_

 _She raised her head once more with nothing but confusion replacing her previous fear, her eyes landing on an obviously ashamed Naegi Makoto._

" _I shouldn't have hidden the fact that I knew about your secret." He spoke with a frown, making her eyes go wide. "The Headmaster told me about it after I became the Class Representative… But I thought it was best if I didn't bring that up between us…"_

 _Makoto had known about her secret long before they started spending more time together, then? If she didn't have so much in her head right now she would have cared about the Headmaster knowing too, but right now her thoughts were somewhere else._

 _But that didn't make sense! If Makoto knew about it then, why did he kept trying to interact with her? Wasn't he aware of the danger he was getting into?!_

" _W-why…?" Her voice came out hoarse, and it was only now that she realized just how dry her throat felt. "Why did you t-then…?"_

" _I just… couldn't imagine how you must have felt with your…condition." That was putting it too kindly, she decided. "And I didn't want for Fukawa-san to be alone because of that…"_

 _The Luckster's words only served to confuse her even more if she had to be honest._

" _I thought that, if being around Togami-kun made you happy then, maybe there would be a way for him to help with that too…" And with that, she saw Makoto release a defeated sigh, with even his shoulder sagging. "But I should have known…I should have done something to stop him before he said those things."_

 _No, that had been her fault for putting her trust in him. She should have never revealed her secret to him, but now her belo-no, now Togami Byakuya could ruin her life anytime he wanted to…_

" _But I promise, Fukawa-san!" Makoto's sudden outburst almost made her yelp in surprise, certainly not expecting the sudden passion that flared in his brown eyes. "That I will do my best to keep your secret hidden from everyone else, and I'll make sure Togami-kun does the same!"_

 _The fact that such a passion was being sorely aimed at her actually made her shiver on her spot. She had never seen Naegi Makoto sporting such a look, and for reasons beyond her, her heart actually skipped a beat at the intensity of his words. They sounded too good to be true, but was she allowed to believe in them just like that?_

" _I don't think it would be fair for Fukawa-san to not be able to make more friends because of something you can't control…" A sad smile appeared on Makoto's lips, one that was quickly replaced by an awkward-looking grin. "I even had to lie to the Headmaster about what happened since the school wouldn't be the same without Fukawa-san around."_

 _Now_ that _did get her eyes to widen somehow more behind her glasses. He had even…lied for her? After what she had done?_

" _W-why?!" This time she wasn't able to hold herself back, and her sudden yell certainly seemed to have caught Makoto by surprise. "I_ hurt _you! I could have… I almost…why?! W-why are you p-protecting me?! Why are you still so n-nice?!" Her hysterical yelling ended up tiring her more than she would have liked, to the point she ended up just gasping for air before a last small whisper left her lips. "Why do you c-care so much…?"_

 _She just wanted to know the reason for anyone to seemingly care so much for her._

 _And the response she received was such a faraway look from Makoto that it left her speechless. She didn't know someone could show both so much pain and gratitude at the same time._

" _I owe a lot to Fukawa-san…If Fukawa-san hadn't been there, I don't think I would have been able to keep moving forward…That's why I want to make Fukawa-san truly happy one day."_

 _And then he smiled at her, and for the first time, that smile wasn't blinding her. Instead, it was filling her with such a warmness that she could feel her heart threatening to burst out of her chest._

 _Not even the former object of her obsession had made her feel like this…_

" _I-it's a bit embarrassing to say it out loud." A chuckle left Makoto's lips just as he turned around slowly, and the sudden loss of that warmness that had filled her seconds ago was almost enough to make her whimper. "I just wanted to make sure Fukawa-san didn't blame herself for what happened since I don't blame you at all."_

" _I'll see you tomorrow in class then, Fukawa-san." The boy-no, the young man finished with a wave of his hand right before giving his bandaged arm a nervous look. "This is going to be a bit hard to explain to everyone…"_

 _At that moment she had no shame in admitting that she had been filled with nothing but panic once she saw the Luckster moving towards the door._

 _Her next action was one she would never forget, for her next movement was a result of nothing but her sheer instincts._

" _Hmm? Fukawa-san?"_

 _And before she knew it she had moved so close to him that she had grabbed him by the sleeve of his white shirt, careful enough to not hurt him further but with enough strength in her grip so that he wouldn't just leave her._

 _She looked at him with her mouth hanging open, knowing that she had to say something but truly not knowing what to say at that moment. It was as if her brain had just decided to stop working properly, abandoning her to her own luck._

 _Something clicked inside of her though, and while she had no idea why_ that _memory was the one that decided to pop up in her head now of all things, she wasn't going to ignore any help right now._

" _D-do you…" She whispered to him, feeling her cheeks burning hot in both embarrassment and shame. "…still want my number…?"_

 _It was dumb. It sounded so dumb now that she had said it out loud. She was left wanting to go and die in a hole to avoid the embarrassment._

 _But he didn't mock her for that though, and instead he just smiled radiantly at her once more, the warmness one again feeling her very being to the point she could feel her legs quivering under her._

" _Of course!"_

 _She knew it at that moment, that she would become addicted to that smile he kept giving her._

 _And it was something she wouldn't mind getting addicted to._

* * *

I-I still don't get what he meant that day… He also never told me what kind of l-lie he told you…

…fell down some stairs…?

And you b-believed that, Headmaster?!

You're a strange man…but thank you.

H-how would I describe him? I-Isn't it obvious? He's my Makoto-sama, what else do you need?

Something else? Well…

Y-you better not laugh at me.

He'smy… knight in shining armor."

* * *

 **This ended up being a lot longer than I anticipated geez.**

 **Now I regret never really reading Toko stuff in this site. While not my favorite character I still hoped to be able to handle her well in such a chapter, but if I had to compare it to Nagito's and Hajime's chapter then this was definitely the hardest one to write.**

 **Did I do Toko justice? I actually don't think so, but I hope the chapter doesn't insult any Toko fan out there.**

 **Why did I decide to focus on Toko first? Well, I did it mostly because out of all the characters from DR1 she is someone I'm having act extremely OOC. Sure, everyone being obsessed with Makoto is already OOC, but to move Toko's obsession from Byakuya to Makoto is something I consider a really big change.**

 **I'll admit I played with her character a bit here, after all, let's face it, canon Toko would have just bounced back into following Byakuya the next day, so I made her a bit less forgiving I suppose. Having her having a big falling out with Byakuya is the only thing I haven't read about Fukawa on this site, so I wanted to have a go at it.**

 **The fun aspect of writing chapters like this is the things that are being left out since the chapter is being told from Toko's perspective. Take Junko's presence as you will.**

 **With any luck, next chapter will come out sooner, with said chapter involving a bit of a time-skip. Nothing big, just of a couple of days so that things can progress in a better way.**

 **Thank you all for your patience and for your support of this story. It had become a lot more popular than I ever thought it would so I can only hope future chapters continue to be of your liking. Thank you for all your follows, favorites and of course reviews!**

 **Next Chapter: Sisterly Invasion.**


	19. Obligatory Calm and Figurative Storm

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama.**

 **Chapter 16**

 **The Obligatory Calm Before The Figurative Storm**

Kuwata Leon, the Ultimate Baseball Star, liked to give him advice from time to time.

For some reason beyond him, most of that advice was somehow related to the opposite sex.

He couldn't say, in good conscience at least, that he even understood half of the things the red-haired teen spouted from time to time. The only thing he knew for a fact though, at least based on everything the girls from his class kept telling him every time Leon tried to 'teach' him something, was that under no circumstance should he listen to the Baseball Star in question.

Sadly, considering that his mind was quite blank at the moment, he could have certainly used one of those very same guidelines right about now.

"Hmmm…"

The small, almost content humming to his side only reminded him more about the fact that he wasn't alone right now, although the pair of arms tightly circled around his waist also helped as a reminder of that little tidbit.

He wracked his brain about the things the Baseball Star had told him a long time ago about what to do when you had someone, namely a girl, in your bed with you.

Something in the back of his head told him that whatever he had said would only make things even more problematic though, so maybe it was fortunate that the only thing he could remember about that day was Leon being prohibited from even looking at any of the girls from their class.

Somehow that decree ended up extending itself to the whole school.

He had never seen Kuwata Leon so depressed in _both_ his lives.

Wait…What was he doing again?

"Mmmm…Onii-chan…"

Ah, right, suddenly waking up only to find a certain girl he knew very well hugging him while she slept as if her life depended on it, got it.

He raised his upper body as slowly and carefully as he could, for as surprised as he was the last thing he wanted was to suddenly wake up the peacefully sleeping girl.

The fact that she had her head pretty much glued to his midsection made that a bit harder than he would have liked, however.

His brown eyes focused quickly on the girl's resting form, with the first thing that got caught in his gaze being her hair.

Even if he hadn't known already based on her sleeping mumbling, the girl's green hair certainly confirmed any suspicions that he had about his bed's intruder.

"Monaca-chan…" He whispered the girl's name, carefully enough to not wake up the slumbering Li'l Ultimate that had seemingly taken refuge in his bed last night without him noticing.

He certainly remembered leaving Monaca with Komaru last night, after all, even though the younger Ultimate had quite actively protested the fact that she wouldn't be able to sleep without being in the same room as himself.

Seemed her wish came true though, and he could only wonder how much Monaca had wanted this if she had bothered to come from one room to another in her wheelchair while making sure to not wake anyone up.

And even though he knew the green-eyed girl could use her legs, the fact that he could also see her wheelchair by the side of the bed told him enough. Monaca was truly protective over her secret after all.

A small sigh left his lips before a rather awkward smile appeared on them. He supposed, considering that this was the first day that one Towa Monaca had come to stay at his home, that just changing room at night was hardly the worse that could have happened.

He just hopped, just as he slowly stroked the girl's green-hair, that she hadn't seen anything that might have scared her, for the last thing he wanted was for someone like Monaca to see one of his…episodes.

He didn't remember having one last night, but then again, he hadn't even felt the Li'l Ultimate entering his room.

"Hmm…I thought Onii-chan liked older girls…but Onii-chan's range is actually quite wide, isn't it?"

…Maybe he should start locking that door at night too.

Rather than the morning breeze that was normally enough to make him shiver sometimes, it was the words suddenly filling his ears that sent a chill down his spine.

He slowly moved his head to the owner of the voice, just in time to look at his little sister poking her head out from behind the door, with a look on her face that told him that she was not the least impressed by what she was seeing.

His mind certainly got the meaning behind her words too, for even days after _that_ ; he knew that Komaru was still more than a bit _peeved_ about what had happened.

The fact that their parents didn't seem to believe her every time she spoke about the 'Crazy blonde princess that wanted to steal her brother away from home' was obviously not helping her general mood if the current deadpan expression she held was anything to go by.

He opened his mouth in a vain attempt to make sure Komaru didn't get the wrong idea, but it was hard to do so with Monaca suddenly tightening her hold on his midsection to the point he ended up just spluttering out of surprise.

Suffice to say, such reaction did little to crack Komaru's stony mask.

"Mom's almost done with breakfast," Komaru spoke as her head slowly disappeared behind the door; her eyes making the Luckster feel as if he had somehow committed a crime that deserved nothing but the hardest of punishments. "Just thought you should know."

And then she closed the door with a lot more force than the time-traveler knew was common for her and healthy for the poor door. He couldn't' even avoid the small cringe that coursed through his body at such an action, knowing that it was his fault for trying to convince her that Sonia's…words had been nothing but a joke.

His sister had believed that just as much as he believed in Junko's words.

Another sigh left his lips, for the day had just started and he was already feeling like just staying on the bed for most of it. He had also made sure to keep the house guest-free today so it would be easy to pull off, although he had done it for Monaca's sake rather than his own.

He didn't want to overwhelm the girl with any of his friends suddenly popping up, after all. It was baby-steps with someone like Monaca; that much he knew even if he wasn't an expert.

Speaking of the Li'l Ultimate Homeroom though…

"Monaca-chan…" He spoke in an even tone while giving the girl on his bed a curious look that slowly turned just turned into an expression that mirrored that of the youngest Naegi a few seconds ago. "You're not asleep, are you?"

His only response was a couple seconds of silence right before the green-haired Ultimate snuggled even closer to him somehow. For such a small girl she sure had a strong grip too.

"Monaca-chan, you shouldn't have just left the room like that." The Luckster admonished the girl that continued to pretend to be asleep, with the smile on her face diminishing just a bit in response. "I'm sure Komaru got really worried when she woke up and couldn't find you there."

Another few seconds of silence followed, which got Makoto to wonder if maybe she was actually asleep. Such concern proved to be unnecessary though, for in a slow fashion Monaca's eyes fluttered open, allowing for the brown-haired boy to have a clear look at the peaceful green eyes of the Li'l Ultimate Homeroom.

"Good morning, Onii-chan!" Monaca spoke with a chirp in her tone, to the point Makoto was sure that had been the happiest he had heard anyone being on the morning. The smile that followed Monaca's words only proved that even more so, and it did actually manage to almost make him smile in response.

The girl's happiness was just that contagious, he supposed.

But still…

"Monaca-chan." He spoke once more, with the younger girl tilting her head to the side almost as if she hadn't heard him the first time. "Like I said, you shouldn't have-"

"I'm sorry." His words died on his throat once Monaca's happy visage turned into a crestfallen expression, one that had surprised him with how quickly it appeared. "But every time Monaca imagined living with Onii-chan Monaca was always sleeping in the same bed with Onii-chan…" The obvious sadness in her gaze disappeared for just a moment with the way her eyes narrowed, but before he was able to say anything Monaca had already hidden her face by pressing it on his white shirt. "It wasn't fair…why did Monaca have to sleep with _her_ instead of Onii-chan?!"

With the tone in which she had referred to who he knew was Komaru anyone would think she was talking about her greatest enemy to date, but for the life of him, Makoto simply couldn't understand from where the animosity had come from.

Not that such animosity only extended herself to Komaru, mind you, but he would have thought that given Komaru's age it would have been easier for the two to become friends.

It had been the opposite, to say the least.

He ended up just scratching the back of his head while suddenly losing the will to admonish the Li'l Ultimate. He understood her reasoning, and in retrospective maybe he should have just let her sleep in his room with him.

He had just wanted to protect her from seeing anything…unsightly.

Once more he opened his mouth to try and sooth the girl, but once more he was beaten by the girl herself.

"A-and…" Monaca's voice came with a small hitch, one that had him instantly panicking on the inside. "I had a nightmare…"

Monaca said nothing more, and he didn't need to hear anything else. His hand instantly moved to her head, with his fingers moving slowly through her green locks just as she trembled a bit, apparently remembering whatever had plagued her last night.

"Sorry, Monaca-chan." He lamented with regret in his voice while doing his best to hold the girl giving their current position. "You can stay with me tonight then if it really helps."

He felt her nod in his shirt almost immediately, to which Makoto could only sigh quietly in response.

It wasn't his first rodeo when it came to such situation, although he was sure Komaru would hit him with a pillow if he brought any of such moments that the two had shared on the past.

Besides, when it came to nightmares he was not one to make light of them.

He could only hope for today's night to be dreamless one.

For both of their sake.

* * *

Naegi Komaru didn't know what to make of the green-haired girl sitting on the opposite side of the table.

At first glance, the girl looked harmless enough, with the only aspect that really stuck out being how cute the girl was.

There was, of course, the fact that she was in a wheelchair, but thinking of that only made the youngest Naegi more uncomfortable than what she would like to admit, especially since her brother hadn't told them any details about that.

It _had_ to be quite the sore subject, she had decided, so she had decided to simply not bring it up. She could only wonder how something like that would feel…

But against what her appearance hinted at, Komaru wouldn't be able to describe Monaca as just a _harmless_ girl by now.

She didn't know what it was, but somehow she just couldn't keep herself relaxed around the younger girl. It was almost as if her simple presence was enough to put her on edge, like her body just _knew_ that the girl was dangerous somehow.

It wasn't the first time she had felt like such when it came to someone from _that_ school mind you, and the fact that she could feel Monaca making holes at the back of her head from time to time didn't help at all in that regard.

But she had done her best to hide her discomfort, for the last thing she wanted was to worry her brother even more. He had obviously taken Monaca under his wing after all, and she didn't want to sound as if she was coming between that relationship.

That and, well, she did have to admit that she felt more than a bit bad for the girl. Her older brother might not have given her or their parents many details with the excuse that it was a private matter, but from what they had gathered from him, Monaca hadn't had the best of childhoods, even ignoring her condition.

It might have helped that her older brother had asked her as a favor to get along well with the younger girl too.

And she _had_ tried. God knows she had tried.

And she was still trying!

"Onii-chan, ah…!"

But for crying out loud!

She was sure her right eye was twitching by now.

She truly didn't know what was upsetting her the most, if the side-look that the green-haired girl kept giving her every time she opened her mouth, or how ready her older brother had been to feed the girl himself!

The fact that even her mother only saw the exchange as _adorable_ was not helping in the slightest.

She was just glad that her dad had to leave early, for she was sure his presence wouldn't have made things any better.

"I hope you like it, Monaca-chan. I wasn't sure what to make that would be to your liking…" Her mom spoke with a kind smile and a bit of concern in her voice, even though it was obvious to Komaru that the girl had no issues with the food, although if it was because of the taste or the fact that Makoto was feeding her was anyone's guess.

"It's… good." Monaca answered while Makoto took a break to actually eat his own share. The young girl's voice came out with a lot less enthusiasm that one might expect considering how she had been obviously delighted not even a second ago.

Such thing only made Komaru frown while giving her mother a side-glance, although if the woman was affected by the lacking response she certainly didn't show it. She had probably gotten used to it too, she assumed, considering how…unfriendly Monaca had been every since they met her yesterday.

She wasn't mean or rude or anything like that at least, just a little bit too…aloof for her taste, especially considering how she went from that to acting as if Christmas had come early whenever her brother was around.

"I'm glad you like it." Her mom said with an obviously happy tone and a smile on her face. "I'll be preparing Makoto's favorite for lunch today, so I hope you'll like it too."

And with the announcement, Komaru was sure she could _feel_ the shift in the girl's head.

The way in which those green eyes suddenly focused on her mom with an intensity that left her almost squeaking in surprise was proof enough of that.

"Onii-chan's…favorite?" The girl whispered, barely high enough for everyone to hear in what she could only describe as half excitement and half wonder. To her side, she heard her older brother chuckle a bit, but that only earned him a dirty look from herself.

A nod from her mother was the response Monaca got, seemingly taking the girl into a faraway land if the way she looked down at her plate was any indication.

The suddenness of the silence was actually more worrying than anything else, and when it lasted almost a minute it even made her family worried if the look on both of their faces was anything to go by.

"Monaca-chan?" It was her brother the one that called out to the quiet girl first with obvious concern in his voice and a frown in his face. He even moved his hand to touch her shoulder once she didn't even react to his voice.

"C-can I…" But before he reached her, Monaca raised her head, although her green-eyed seemed to not be able to look at anyone at the face. "…watch how you do it…?"

Her request was surprising to the ahoge-haired girl, to say the least, and said surprise was mirrored by the two older Naegis at the table. Both siblings moved their focus to their mom, who could only blink in apparent surprise before smiling softly at the green-haired girl.

"Of course, dear." To that response, the youngest Naegi saw the Li'l Ultimate nod almost shyly before going stare down at her plate with a small frown on her face.

"Thank you…" And if she hadn't been paying attention, Komaru was sure she would have missed those words from her. That would have been regrettable considering how it was the closest thing to a positive interaction that didn't involve her brother that she had seen so far from the younger girl.

It actually made her smile a bit, something that was followed by her mother giggling a bit and her older brother chuckling once more before patting Monaca on the head softly. It was the latter what got the Li'l Ultimate to blush in apparent embarrassment, although she did no attempts at removing the hand that was touching her hair.

She couldn't say that she didn't understand though, for she had certainly been on Monaca's place before, and as embarrassing at it was, such memories still brought a fond smile to her lips.

The sound of the doorbell was enough to break the pacified atmosphere that had covered the table.

A small feeling of dread filled Komaru as soon as she heard that, for even though her older brother had told her no one would come to visit today, she still had a bad feeling about that.

"I'll… go and get it." Almost as if reading her thoughts, it was Makoto the one that stood up with a bit of confusion and nervousness in his tone. Before leaving though, he still sent a small smile in her direction, for he apparently understood her concerns.

Five minutes later, the new presence in their home proved that today wouldn't be a normal day at all.

* * *

"I will cut straight to the matter at hand." She spoke in a clear tone while making sure each of her classmates heard her perfectly, her voice even and her eyes set in a serious expression.

"We all know what will happen in two weeks if we don't prepare ourselves." She paced at the front of the classroom, with her words being accentuated by each step she took. She stopped for a moment to give her classmates a side glance, narrowed purple orbs looking at the group of teens with such a focus it felt like an eagle looking down at her prey. "And we _can't_ afford to lose again this year."

They just couldn't, for she would not allow such a thing.

The look that she received in response though, told her that they understood the gravity of the situation, and that this time they would take no second places.

Normally it wouldn't be her the one taking charge of the class like this, after all her Luckster had certainly earned the spot of the unofficial leader of this particular class.

She also knew that the Ultimate Moral Compass would be able to do a decent job too, but right now she couldn't let anyone else take charge. It wasn't that she didn't trust them, but rather the consequences of failure were simply too big for her to let others take the reins.

And with such mentality she stood with her arms crossed below her chest, her purple eyes sweeping across the room while making sure to look at each one of her present classmates in the eyes, trying to see if she would find any speck of doubt that might ruin her plan.

She found none whatsoever.

"I can guarantee your cooperation, then?" Kirigiri Kyoko asked, mostly out of formality, to the united students of class 78.

"Losing is not an option as you say, Kirigiri-san!" It was Kiyotaka the first one that answered back with a mighty yell and with his body suddenly raising from his seat, nothing but fire in his gaze. "I promise to put my 100- no, 1000% into the upcoming event!"

"Damn straight!" And to his side, it was Mondo who followed suit with his palm hitting his desk and a grin on his face. "I don't care how tough it will be, we're beating the shit out of everyone this time!"

It was a testament to how important this was that the Ultimate Moral Compass didn't even bother to scold the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader for his language.

"They won't know what hit them!" Kuwata Leon spoke in a confident tone with a cheeky smile on his lips. "Last year was a fluke. This time I'm not going to play around!"

"Yosh!" Aoi pumped out her first to the air while her expression showed nothing but determination. "This is why we have trained so hard, Sakura-chan. Nothing will stop us now!"

"Indeed." In contrast to her best friend, Sakura responded in a calm tone. However, the sheer aura around her and the fierceness in her eyes told the world that she took this matter as seriously as she could. "To achieve victory… we will show the school the results of our work."

"How reassuring." Even though she hid her smile behind her hand, the dangerous glint in Celestia's crimson eyes showed a passion that only appeared on rare occasions. "This is not a game I will allow us to lose no matter what though; I hope that's clear enough."

"I h-hate this kind of thing…" Even though Toko had no issues with displaying her displeasure, there was still nothing but fire in her glare. "B-but I would hate to l-lose even more…"

"Worry not, my companions." With a confident huff Hifumi even went as far as to adjust his glasses in an obvious show of confidence. "With the skills I have honed not even someone from Seigaku would be able to challenge me!"

"L-last year I didn't do much…" Chihiro's meek voice was able to pierce through the noise, for even if his tone was lower there was no way anyone could deny the sudden steel that it gained. "But this year…I promise to do my best…!"

"Honestly guys, you're all worrying too much." In contrast, Yasuhiro's words came out in a rather relaxed tone filled with nothing but confidence. "I already saw it and we're winning this, I know it!"

"That's right…" And while her voice was normally filled with friendliness, this time Sayaka's words oozed nothing but coldness, with a look on her eyes that showed nothing but the sheer will to defeat anyone in her path. "We _are_ winning, no matter what it takes. I won't accept anything else."

And almost at the same time, in a strange show of harmony for this class, they all looked straight at the Ultimate Detective of their class before nodding resolutely, receiving nothing but a firm nod in return.

There was still one missing though.

Kyoko's gaze moved to the side, more precisely to the seat at the corner, or rather at the blonde sitting cross-legged with his arms crossed over his chest.

And it was only after said blonde felt every single pair of eyes in the class focusing on him that he moved his blue eyes from the window to the front, quickly meeting Kyoko's own purple ones.

Then, and in nothing but slow movements, Togami Byakuya stood up from his seat and walked straight towards his Detective classmate until he was standing just a couple of feet away from her, with his cold eyes looking down at the equally stoic girl.

No words were spoken between the two and instead, they simply let their gazes do the talking for them. A small, almost unnoticeable narrowing of his eyes was met with nothing but a raised eyebrow from her, but even as the staring match almost reached the one minute mark it was the blonde of the duo the one that broke the silence first.

"I despise defeat, Kirigiri." He spoke, his tone carrying his distaste for such a thing to the whole classroom. "I despise it even more when it concerns a matter such as _this_." And for all the negative feelings the rest of their classmates might have towards the blonde, they couldn't deny the honesty in his tone.

"Don't lose then." Kyoko's response was short and simple though, for she wasn't going to let herself be intimidated by the Heir of all people. In her short life, she had faced _worse_ after all.

"I don't plan to." And with that, nothing but the most rigid of nods was shared between the two, right before the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy returned to his seat, however just as he reached it he still gave the Detective one last look over his shoulder. "But don't think it means I'm taking orders from you, Kirigiri."

She had expected that in fact, and she also couldn't care less as long as he pulled his weight.

A small sigh left her lips, for even though she had gained the cooperation of arguably the most stubborn to convince out of their class, it didn't change the fact that they were still two people missing.

Well, technically three, but she wasn't going to count _him_ when it came to this. This whole meeting kind of revolved around him in the first place anyway.

She was sure that one member of the missing duo would have been more than eager to appear though, for as much as the Ultimate Soldier hid her feelings behind a mask, her…devotion to a certain Luckster was nothing short of obvious.

So not seeing her alongside the rest was actually a surprise. A worrisome one, to say the least, considering that she and Sakura were the powerhouses of their class. Not having her cooperation would be…less than stellar.

And as for the other member of the pair…

"Heh?! You're all meeting without me? How mean!"

She apparently had decided to grace the classroom with her presence as soon as the lavender-haired Detective thought about her absence, almost as if she knew it was her cue to appear.

For there she was, standing proudly with both of her hands resting on her hips at the now open door, her blonde hair set in a pair of twin-tails while her blue eyes showed nothing but mirth and barely concealed malice that was accompanied by quite the grin on her lips.

The reaction of most of her classmate to her presence only made said grin somehow wider.

"Enoshima…" It was Kyoko the one that regarded the Ultimate Fashionista first with nothing but a narrowed gaze, for as much as she would have liked to have her whole class as a united front for what was to come, she certainly wouldn't mind if Enoshima Junko chose to not participate in the first place.

One of the reasons that they had lost last year had been, after all, because of the blonde model herself.

That, and based on the looks everyone else was throwing the blonde beauty, namely ones of distrust, suspicion, annoyance and even outright hate by some, she knew that getting everyone to work together with Junko would be a challenge all by itself.

And that was saying a lot considering they were willing to work with Togami Byakuya in the first place.

"I thought you weren't coming today." The Ultimate Detective spoke while doing her best to hide her own feelings towards her fellow Ultimate. Enoshima Junko meant plenty of things to her, after all, and most of them weren't exactly flattering.

The fact that the only one that could truly keep her in check wasn't here only added to the tense air that had now surrounded the classroom.

"And miss this? Not a chance, Kyoko-chan!" The upbeat friendliness that just oozed from Junko as she walked in the room did little to relax Kyoko, to say the least. In fact, it only made her gaze narrow even more. "I'm just wounded no one invited me to this! I was lucky to find the message on Mukuro-nee's phone, you know?"

"G-get a clue, you dolt…" Toko's sudden murmur somehow reached Junko's ears, making the glass-wearing girl the center of attention for just a fraction of a second before she went back to leer at the Detective standing in front of her.

"I thought Naegi-kun wanted for all of us to be friends!" Junko whined, with her eyes suddenly gaining a sparkling visage just as her voice came out in an obviously fake child-like tone. "I'm sure he would be _so_ sad if he knew you are all bullying me!"

The scoff that she heard from behind her, obvious courtesy of the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy, perfectly summed up how Kyoko felt about those words. His continuous silence, however, told her that he had no intention of helping her when dealing with Junko of all people.

Not that he blamed him for that though, for even now she had to control the urge of massaging her forehead.

"I thought you were far more intelligent than this, Kirigiri Kyoko-san." And in less than a second Junko's previous demeanor was gone, and instead replaced by a rather mature tone that went along with the glasses that had suddenly appeared behind her blue eyes. "Our chances of attaining victory are already too slim for you to exclude a potential asset."

"Sorry if I am being a bit…skeptical." It was Celestia who drawled out next, with her gaze firmly planted on the blonde. "But last year you were more trouble than you were worth, Enoshima-san."

That was putting it lightly, Kyoko decided.

"I know…" And now the blonde was acting as if those words had actually made her depressed. "Even Mukuro-nee did more than me…how pathetic."

"But you should all feel grateful now!" Kyoko seriously had to know where Junko hid the crown that now rested on her head. "For I, Junko-sama, solemnly swear to lead this group of useless peasants towards victory!"

She even went as far as to proudly point straight at the Detective, who did nothing in response but look stoically at the smirking mad-woman that was supposed to be her classmate.

Such position lasted for a few seconds before a sigh escaped Kyoko's lips.

"Have you finished, Enoshima?" Kyoko asked with a raised eyebrow and with her arms crossed over her chest while nothing but slight annoyance sipped through her tone.

And after hearing such comment, Junko's previous expression completely disappeared, which then left a rather neutral face that was followed by a small scoff.

"Yeah sure, whatever." The Ultimate Fashionista spoke with a mild pout on her lips while also whispering under her breath about boring classmates. "And here I am, trying to _actually_ help just to get the cold shoulder from everyone."

"Don't act as if it was uncalled for, Enoshima-san!" Kiyotaka's remark only made Junko's pout even stronger, and Kyoko's brow to furrow a bit. At the rate they were going on they would never be able to move along.

That and she had to admit that Junko's words had caught her attention.

"If this is another one of your tricks, I swear…" Mondo's angry growl did little to intimidate the Fashionista, who simply started checking her fingernails for any non-existent problem they might have.

Kyoko had to admit though, that he had a point, for Enoshima Junko certainly didn't act like how she had expected for her to behave when they had first met.

It was a weird thing, to be honest. At their first week of class back in their first year the Fashionista had actually been almost a walking cliché with how she acted. The fact that it hadn't been close to the things she had learned about the girl before their first year had only made it weirder.

That is, until that week had ended and Enoshima Junko had become a walking, talking disaster.

Almost as if she had gotten tired of acting like a normal girl.

The worst part was that no one could really do anything about it, for it had also meant dealing with a very dangerous Ultimate Soldier, at the beginning at least.

And even a year later she couldn't even say that Junko had mellowed down. No, instead she had just found a better victim to focus on.

The fact that her Luckster just took it in a stride always made hade wonder if he was a secret masochist or something.

"It isn't, ok?" Junko shot back with a bit of irritation seeping through her tone. "Seriously, what's with the trust issues everyone here has?"

And _that_ was pretty much enough to make their classmate explode.

"Last year we lost because of you!" Aoi yelled with anger just as she threw an accusing finger at the blonde, with a blush of both rage and embarrassment filling her cheeks. "You put l-laxative in my food!"

"I was just trying to help you lose weight!"

"You called the police and told them I had attacked you!" Mondo's roar was somehow fiercer than before.

"I thought the experience would help you with your gang!"

"You locked me in the janitor's closet…" Sayaka muttered darkly while glaring at the girl. It wasn't that that actually angered her though, but rather…

"Not my fault you thought that letter was from him, you silly girl!"

"You broke my goddamn leg!" Leon's yell, however, seemed to cut above everyone else's. It was extremely rare to see the guy so angry at a girl, after all, but by now even the Ultimate Baseball Star had been forced to deal with the Fashionista.

"…Alright, you got me there." Junko said with a shrug after a few seconds of silence. "I was aiming at your arm though, but you moved…"

"That just makes it worse!"

"Enough!" It was actually Byakuya the one that commanded such, actually earning the silence and attention of the class, who moved their glares from one blonde to the other. "Get to the point, Enoshima."

"Fine fine." The model just waved her hand in front of her face. "I actually want to win this thing now, that's all." A coy smile appeared on her lips after that. "We all know what the prize is, after all…"

That' was true, Kyoko thought, for if it wasn't because of what was at stake, she was sure her class wouldn't care that much about an event like the Sorts Festival, with a few exceptions of course.

Junko's words though, once more left her with more than a few doubts.

"Why?" The Detective questioned with a tone that left no room for anything else, one that had the Fashionista matching her purple eyes with her own blue ones. "Last year you didn't care at all, so why now?"

And in response, Enoshima Junko simply stared at Kyoko for what felt like an eternity to the class.

And while Kyoko might have expected plenty of things from someone like the Ultimate Fashionista, the look of unfiltered rage that actually crossed her face had _not_ been one of them.

Said expression only lasted less than a second though, for after that she was back with making her eyes far larger and somehow sparkly than what they really were.

"I just want to get Makoto-kun's praise!" She even trembled in apparent excitement at such an idea. "Maybe I can even get him to do _this_ and _that_ with me as a reward!"

And after that, they were back at square one with how much noise most of the class was making.

In response, Kyoko could only sigh tiredly.

This was going to be a long day for her, wasn't it?

* * *

"Everyone…" Her pale pink eyes moved throughout the classroom, meeting each one of her classmates, who all had their attention focused solely on her.

She was met with an array of different smiles, from small, shy and gentle ones to big, excited grins and confident smirks. She herself was smiling back in return to all of them, more than happy and proud for what they had accomplished so far from their first day as Hope's Peak students.

But she also knew that there was at least one more battle to have soon enough.

"Let's do our best…" She declared with a definitive nod and a smile, while one of her hands rested on her chest. "Together."

Her words might have been short, but they were from her heart.

The reaction she received told her that her feelings had not been missed by her classmates.

"That's right!" Nekomaru's powerful voice resounded through the classroom. "I won't let my team face defeat! This time, we're going for the second win in a row!"

"You said it, coach!" And almost as if her classmate's words had infected her, Akane showed nothing but a ferocious grin on her lips. "I can't wait for our match already…!"

"Hmm, while I had vowed to not use such power on mere mortals…" Gundham spoke in an eerie tone that seemed to call his hamsters into action based on how they each took position around him. "If it has come to this then, I will have no reservations on releasing my Four Devas of Destruction on the day of our fateful clash!"

"We cannot underestimate our opponents though." It was Sonia the one that acted as the voice of reason, but the challenging smile on her lips told the world she was no less fired up. "That's why I'm expecting no less but the best from everyone!"

"Even Sonia-san is fired up about this…!" Kazuichi spoke with an excited grin, his fist meeting his palm not even a second later. "And so am I, so I'll win this thing by myself if I have to!"

"Oh oh!" While for her part, Ibuki went as far as to raise her hand high into the air, almost as if asking for permission to share her opinion. "That means Ibuki-chan can go all out then!"

"All out? I like the sound of that." Fuyuhiko's chuckle was followed by a smirk of superiority appearing on his face. "You heard them, Peko, we show everyone that gets in our way their place."

"I understand, Young Master." Even Peko's fingers were twitching, almost as if she was barely able to contain herself at the moment. "It would be disrespectful to not do my best with such conditions."

"The duty of those above is to guide the rest." Why he was suddenly dressed as Togami Byakuya was anyone's guess, but Chiaki could only assume that old habits die hard. "That's why, if you follow me, I guarantee you that nothing but victory awaits!"

"Everyone is so enthusiastic…" Ryota whispered as he watched his class, easily understanding their reaction considering the prize. "E-even if I can't do much…I'll still do my best."

"I-I can treat everyone if they get h-hurt…" Even Mikan's murmur had gained a bit of steel behind it apparently. "S-so please, do your b-best, everyone…!"

"There is more than one way of winning this." Teruteru grinned darkly just as he adjusted the scarf secured tightly around his neck. "There is no way we can lose, not with such a prize on the line…!"

"Hmph, you all look like kids acting like that." Hiyoko's voice didn't have the same bite as it usually did, and her eyes showed nothing but fire. "But I won't allow for anyone to mess this up, so be glad you all have my help!"

"This is our last year here," Mahiru whispered with a smile filled with emotion on her lips. "Surely there's no problem with being a bit selfish and taking a second win, right?"

And ever so slowly, the students of class 77-B moved to surround their Class Representative, who received them with a smile of her own, after all by now they weren't just her classmates.

No, they were so much more for her than just that…

But there were still two members missing, even if one of them was an honorary one

And as for the other one, he was seemingly content with just smiling at the sight while sitting on the corner of the room.

Not that she would allow such a thing though.

"Komaeda-kun." The Ultimate Gamer called out to the lonely teen, who could only look at her in surprise at her sudden extended hand. "I don't think we can do this without you."

The Ultimate Lucky Student could do nothing but blink confusedly for what felt like an eternity, right before an honest smile made itself presence on his face. Ever so slowly he moved towards the group, and while the array of gazes he received weren't the warmest ones out there, just the fact that none of them rejected him was enough to actually make him feel giddy.

"I…" He started with doubt just before a glimpse of shame showed in his gaze. "I'll try to make sure my luck doesn't ruin our chances."

For it might have been a selfish desire, but was it bad that he wanted nothing but to win too?

But in response, Chiaki could only shake her head.

"Komaeda-kun's luck will be our secret weapon." And with the way she said it, the white-haired Ultimate actually found himself convinced by such words.

If he could help them in any way then, he certainly wasn't going to miss it.

For winning mean they could have _him_ all for themselves.

* * *

"I'm... lost." It was Kiibo the one that voiced out his class' concern as they looked at the spectacle from the window of the classroom. "Why are they so…?"

"…Fired up?" While for his part, Shuichi tried to find the best words to describe what they were seeing. "I'm as lost as you are, Kiibo-kun…" He had to admit that he was curious about it though, for even though their senpais could be peculiar, wasn't this still a bit too much?

They looked like they were about to destroy the field…

"Who cares?" Kaito just shrugged it off with a smirk though, with his fist meeting his palm and a grin on his face. "As if someone needed a reason to train! As long as you're feeling like it, isn't that enough!"

"That's an idiot's mentality." Maki's sharp tongue didn't miss a chance. "Something is obviously off here…"

"And we have never seen them all acting like this before…" Tsumugi pointed out her thoughts with a finger resting on her chin. "So there _has_ to be a reason behind it."

"It most surely has to do with the upcoming Sports Festival," Korekiyo explained easily while also looking on with interest at the group of hardworking older students. "For such tradition to bring the most competitive aspect of them would be most natural."

"But to _all_ of them?" Ryoma scoffed lightly with nothing but doubt showing on his gaze. "Some of them look like they hadn't exercised once in their life."

"Maybe there's something more…" Angie wondered with one of her fingers touching her lip. She would have cared more but seeing as a certain Luckster was missing from the crowd she ended up just waving her hand in front of her.

"…Like a prize?" Himiko spoke the first thing that came to her mind with a drawl, while also wondering what kind of thing was so important that they were all pushing themselves so hard.

"Heh?! But no one told us about a prize if we won that thing!" Kokichi complained loudly just as he started to nibble at the piece of metal attached to his wrist. "This is cheating, Kirumi-chan!"

"Kizakura-sensei never told us about something like that when he mentioned the Festival," Kirumi muttered mostly to herself right before giving the Ultimate Supreme Leader a focused look. "And Naegi-senpai asked me to make sure you didn't try anything weird today while he's absent."

"…so, he thinks of me even when I'm not there, hehe…" For some reason, it seemed that the Maid's words were enough to stop the Supreme Leader from biting at the handcuff that connected the two.

"Was there something like that, Akamatsu-san?" It was Tenko the one that asked the blonde Class Representative, although for the Ultimate Aikido Master just the opportunity to face her idol was more than enough of a reward!

But as for the Ultimate Pianist, the girl could only keep silent while being deep in thought. She certainly didn't remember anyone telling her about any special prize for the winner of the Sports Festival. Neither Kizakura-sensei nor her senpais had told her anything about it, so maybe it was something else?

Her whole class had turned from the window to look at her expectantly though, putting her in a bit of a spotlight. The last thing she wanted was to say that she had no idea about it, but right now her mind was drawing blanks at the expectant looks she was receiving.

"You guys sure are rowdy in the morning."

She was saved by a rather lax voice from behind, and while she could already guess as to whom the owner of that voice was, she still confirmed it by quickly turning around.

"Kizakura-sensei!" And in response, the hat-wearing teacher simply gave the group a small nod, with said group finally moving away from the windows that gave a perfect look at one of the empty fields Hope's Peak used whenever they needed such an open area.

"Can't blame you for getting excited, I suppose." The older man said calmly just as he gave a smile to his current batch of students. "It _is_ that time of the year, after all, so no wonder everyone else is so active."

"You know why they're like that then, Kizakura-sensei?" It was Rantaro the one that questioned the teacher first with a small tilt of his head, earning a couple of nods in response.

"It has to do with what the winner class of the Sports Festival gets as a reward." He spoke, with the smile on his face growing a bit with each word. "Not that I can blame them since I know a couple of faculty members that would gladly participate for that _prize_."

"So there is one!" Miu yelled accusingly at the blonde man while pointing at him with her finger. "And why didn't you tell us before?! Too drunk to even remember it or something?!"

The chuckle that escaped Hope's Peak recruiter told the class that he was not the least offended by the Inventor's hard words.

"I just thought you guys weren't ready to hear it just yet." He answered just as he took his hat off before putting it on his own desk.

"Is it dangerous?" Gonta asked out loud with a frown with clear concern in his voice, truly lost as to what the teacher meant. "Gonta can protect everyone then, but…"

"No no, nothing like that." Koichi waved his hand in front of him as if trying to get rid of such a notion. "It's just, how do I put this…" He then followed with scratching his chin slowly, right before giving a look filled with mirth to the Ultimate Pianist standing at the front of the group. "Do you really want to know? There's no coming back if I tell you."

For some reason, the teacher's tone made Kaede gulp in a sudden fit of nervousness, but even so, she still nodded resolutely, knowing that her class wouldn't accept just now knowing by now.

"Ho…" And she could have sworn the man's smile widened just a bit after that. "If you insist then, the prize for the class that wins the Sports Festival, one that has every class doing their best to achieve the first spot…" He then proceeded to bent forward, almost as if what was about to escape his lips was the greatest secret the school had to offer. "It can only be one thing…"

One minute later, a satisfied-looking Kizakura Koichi closed the door of class 79's classroom, not wanting to be inside when they finally reacted to his words.

And another minute later, the yell of utter shock that escaped said classroom was heard all the way to where the older classes had been training for the upcoming battle.

And now, they knew that the competition had just become even harder.

* * *

Matsuda Yasuke was, in his own honest opinion and contrary to popular belief, _not_ a social recluse.

He just valued his own alone, free, _quiet_ time a lot more than the rest. Surely, there was nothing wrong with such a thing, right?

In his mind, there wasn't, which was why he loved days like this so much.

After all, being Saturday meant that today he didn't have to bother with classes, which also meant that he wouldn't have to deal with his annoying classmates and their insistence on trying to convince him to join the stupid Student Council.

Just his luck that most of his classmates were members of that thing, and the one that wasn't was somehow even _more_ annoying with her insistence of him coming to work at the damn Togami Empire after they graduated.

As if he would ever accept such a thing. Didn't they know that to work was to lose?

But even that paled in comparison to the _wonderful_ news that he had received yesterday in fact, and it was honestly the first time he had actually been glad to read Naegi Makoto's name on his phone.

The damn Luckster wasn't coming to school today!

All in all, Saturday had looked like it would be the perfect day for relaxation, and with the other classes going insane over the Sports Festival he knew that he could hide on the library or even his own Research Lab without anyone coming to bother him.

It had sounded too good to be true.

But of course, then he had to receive a message from _her_.

Now, while Enoshima Junko was the only individual he would truly call a close friend, he still had to accept the fact that he was a …acquaintance with the twin of the Fashionista.

They weren't particularly close, and their relationship had only been born out of their mutual feelings towards Junko herself, but even so, Mukuro was not one he would dare call a stranger by now.

And it had been only those facts that got him, against even his own common sense, to agree with Mukuro's request of helping her with something on a park not that far from Hope's Peak itself.

In retrospect, that had been his first mistake.

But with how extremely rare it was for Mukuro to request _anything_ from him, he had just believed that it had to be something serious.

And, to his credit, he had expected many things before arriving at where she had requested his presence.

A pile of Yakuza-looking men, all seemingly having been beaten into a bloody pulp, lying unconsciously at the middle of the park and right beside the Ultimate Soldier in question had _not_ been one of those.

The fact that he had arrived just as she had lifted another guy by the neck before throwing him at the top of the pile with the greatest of ease left little to doubt as to who was responsible for such a deed.

His reaction had been almost instantaneous, and in his head, it had also been the only one any sane person should take in such a situation.

Namely, to turn-around, run as fast as he could, never look back and claim early insanity born out of stress if anyone asked him.

His perfect plan had met a sudden end right through half of his first step.

Or to be more specific, right when Mukuro had grabbed his shoulder in a firm grip, killing any hopes of bolting out of the place as soon as possible.

Not reacting faster had been mistake number two

"Glad you're here." He still tried to not face the Soldier, but a movement from the black-haired girl ended up forcing him to turn around to face her.

And the pile of broken men behind her.

A deep sigh left his mouth, one that seemed to be fueled by nothing but tiredness. His narrowed gaze moved from the unconscious men and then back to Mukuro for almost a solid minute before he settled with giving the younger girl a frown.

"I would ask what the hell happened here…" He drawled out while controlling the urge to massage the bridge of his nose. "But I think the less I know the better, just for when the cops come around."

"That's fine." Mukuro seemed to accept his reluctance to know the details with a nod, right before the signaled to her side with her free hand. "I just need you to watch over them while I'm gone."

Ah, he had been so focused on the Soldier's victim that he had ignored the two girls that were on Mukuro's side.

Quite the feat considering that one had quite the green hair, was bound to a wheelchair and was muttering stuff that was almost enough to make him want to step back a bit.

Now _that_ was one sick puppy.

He didn't know if that was better than the other, albeit older girl, who looked like she was having quite the nervous breakdown.

He had to admit that the two looked awfully familiar for some reason…

His response came not even a second later after looking at the obviously not sane pair.

"You cannot leave me with those two just like this, Mukuro." He growled out, almost as if he was talking to a baby. "I won't even ask from where you got them because, once more, I don't want to get caught with…whatever this is."

The way in which the Soldier blinked owlishly at him before nodding almost made him believe she had understood his…reluctance.

Keyword being _almost_.

"Here, buy them some ice-cream." The money that she quite literally _forced_ into his hand only worked to destroy whatever hope he had of her understanding the situation.

"Is this a joke? But if it is, it's not fu-and she's gone…"

In less than a second, he was left by himself, with the only proof that Ikusaba Mukuro had been there in the first place being the form of the running girl that kept getting smaller by each second that passed.

It was only a small groan that came from the pile of beaten men that finally got him out of his stupor, and the only reason he wasn't escaping this hell right about now was the honest fear of Mukuro beating the shit out of him if he just left.

It would be the first time, yes, but this was also the first time he saw like fifty guys all piled up like that.

He gave the money on his hand a look, wondering if a lawyer could use the fact that he had accepted it as a way to label him as an accomplice.

But hey, when life gives you lemons…

"Hey, you." First things first though. "The girl with the ahoge…yes you, what's your name?"

He would have asked the one in the wheelchair, but he wasn't getting close to that bundle of joy unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Eh…?" At least the ahoge one had finally stopped her panic attack, at least long enough to give him a confused look. "Komaru…Naegi Komaru…"

And just with that, he suddenly felt like _screaming_.

Of fucking course that was her name.

It took another whole minute before his body finally reacted, and when it did it was only to release a defeated breath.

He was never going to be free, was he?

…

Where the hell was the ice-cream guy anyway?

* * *

In retrospect, maybe deciding to go for a walk had not been the best of ideas.

It had sounded good at the time, with him wanting to show Monaca around and with the sudden visit of the Ultimate Soldier.

In his defense, he certainly could not have predicted for something like _this_ to happen.

There had been a reason he had messaged his friends from Hope's Peak to make sure they knew he would be busy today.

But he had seemingly missed one…

Or maybe this person had taken the request as an _invitation_.

Both were equally likely.

Then again, maybe this was karma considering how he had been doing his best to ignore his little…situation when it came to this person in particular.

Not that he would be able to continue to do so considering how he was sitting on said person's limousine, with the owner in question sitting on the opposite side.

He didn't dare to raise his head though, honestly fearing a bit what _she_ would do if he did.

"So…" The girl started, making him tense, something that he was sure she noticed. "How long are you going to play it cool, _dear._ "

And the way in which she ended her sentence only brought a shiver down his spine.

He should have known she would appear sooner or later though. In fact, it was honestly a shock that she hadn't tried anything sooner.

His meeting with her brother should have warned him of _something_.

"Kuzur-"

"Natsumi."

"…Natsumi-sa-"

"Chan."

"…Natsumi-chan…"

With each word he slowly moved his gaze up until he was face to face with the blonde that had pretty much kidnapped him.

Kuzuryu Natsumi sat proudly and comfortably on the opposite side of him, taking advantage of the limousine rather spacious interior to match her smug visage with his own nervous ones.

"Now…" Natsumi's voice made it quite obvious that she _knew_ who had the advantage here, although the smirk on her lips was an obvious indication of that too.

"Why don't we talk about _business_?"

* * *

 **A more laidback chapter to balance out the drama fest that was the previous one. I said 'sisterly invasion' on the previous chapter for a reason, and here you have it.**

 **For those that have been waiting for Natsumi, rejoice. Yasuke as always is fun to write too and took the chance to throw him into a class, and I think Junko appearing again was long overdue.**

 **Also, kudos if you catch the two references to two LN/manga/anime here. Once a sports one (and one of the first ones I ever watched) and the other one is a personal favorite of mine when it comes to slice of life, even thinking of writing something for it in the future.**

 **I'm glad the Toko chapter was well received, and as some might have guessed the next flashback chapter will be about a V3 one, which I have already decided as to who character to use. He's a guy by the way, just as a heads up, but after that I will let you all vote to decide who gets the next flashback chapter, so don't worry. I'll also try to not take so long between them.**

 **Next chapter I doubt it will come as quickly as this one, with college and my lack of a stable internet connection (and I might have started playing Magic Arena since I love card games…sorry) but at worst I will put a special chapter on November 7** **th** **, as a sort of anniversary chapter (damn it has been almost a year already.)**

 **Thank you all for the continuous support through the past year (whether it is in views, favs, follows, reviews or PMs) and do know that I appreciate it a lot.**

 **Next Chapter: Preparations of the Forceful Kind**


	20. Always Read Before Signing

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama.**

 **Omake at the end!**

 **Chapter 17**

 **Always Read Before Signing**

" _That's why, I promise to take responsibility!"_

Ah yes, that was his own voice, wasn't it?

"I can put it again if you want, just in case you didn't catch that." The youngest Kuzuryu he knew off spoke in a tone filled with mirth, and without even giving him a chance to answer she simply pressed the screen of her phone, allowing for the two to hear his voice coming out of it once more.

A bit of cold sweat appeared on his forehead at hearing that cursed tape. In his defense, he hadn't known she had been recording him that day.

"I-Its fine, Kuzu-" A glare from the blonde stopped him right on hid tracks. "N-Natsumi-chan…But, don't you think this is a bit…too much?"

"Huh?" The frown he received in response told him that she did not share his opinion on the matter. "I wouldn't have to do this kind of stuff if you weren't trying to avoid me, _dear_."

Now _that_ was one heck of a glare if he could say so himself.

"But I wasn't avoiding you…" If only he had sounded convincing enough…

Maybe his rather…abrupt meeting with her older brother had affected more than what he would have liked to admit.

"Sure sure." Natsumi for her part spoke in barely concealed anger that had him gulping without even realizing it. "Next time I'll just make sure to stick to Hinata's ass since you certainly never miss him whenever you go to the Reserve Course."

In his defense… he had nothing.

"I'm sorry." He could only whisper in honest regret while frowning at the blonde, who simply kept giving him that same glare while she crossed her arms over her chest.

If looks could kill, he would most likely be dead by now

He always knew it would be a blonde the one that would be the end of him.

The Yakuza princess finally gave him some mercy though, for after what felt like an eternity the blonde had decided to just sigh tiredly while shaking her head.

"Whatever." She said with a shrug before openly smirking at him. "You're going to make it up to me today anyway."

And if it was any other day, he would have _happily_ complied with that.

But today of all days…?

"A-about that…"

* * *

It was supposed to be an easy thing for her to do.

Make sure nothing weird happens to her Luckster. Simple, easy and a plan she wouldn't mind following along, even if it was her sister the one that had sent her in the first place.

" _Make yourself useful and keep an eye on him while I deal with the smocks in our class. I'm sure even you can't screw that up."_ Junko-nee had said to her, and in her mind, she had believed it as such.

Apparently, she had underestimated the type of troubles that her Luckster could attract.

And here she had believed that being on the constant receiving end of a glare, courtesy of the Lil' Ultimate that Makoto had taken into his home, would be the hardest part of her day.

Not like such a thing had bothered with her attention being solely on the Luckster on question.

The fact that she was now running throughout the streets as fast as she could because the young man that she was meant to protect had been pretty much kidnapped right under her nose was enough proof that her day had gone south pretty quickly.

That girl better not even _think_ of harming even a hair from her Luckster though, because she certainly will have no issue with getting rid of every single individual out there that was somehow connected with her criminal syndicate just as a punishment if she dared.

And in her head, that would be just a slap on the wrist for the blonde, but the Ultimate Soldier was very aware that any direct action wouldn't be approved by the Luckster of her class.

As long as she retrieved the brown-haired teen safely, everything else was a second thought to her.

And with her eyes finally landing on the black vehicle that had taken away the young man in question, her mad dash became somehow even faster. She ignored the surprised cries and looks from people, whether they were from the sidewalks or from other cars mattered little to her either, and instead moved like a wolf that had found her prey.

Too bad for them that she had memorized the license plate.

* * *

The tension inside the vehicle was almost strong enough to choke the frowning ahoge-boy to death, to the point that he almost regretted saying the words that had just left his lips.

"You…" The newly rekindled fire in Natsumi's eyes certainly told him what she felt about what he had just told her. "…sure have balls, I'll give you that much."

Something told him that right now, that wasn't a compliment.

"Anyone else in your _position_ would be begging for their lives…" The blonde spoke through obviously gritted teeth, and Makoto was sure he was able to feel the sheer frustration oozing out of her. "And yet you have the gall to ask for a _reschedule_ …!?"

It had sounded better on his head, to be honest.

"I promised Monaca-chan that I would spend the weekend with her." He tried to explain as best as he could, but his words were obviously doing little to cool off the infuriated young woman. "And she has been really looking forward to this, so that's why…" His voice trailed off quietly while he hoping that Natsumi would understand.

And if not, well… he could always just jump off the car.

He was sure that the trembling blonde would make him pay _dearly_ if he did that, but anything beat being in a closed space with an angry girl like Kuzuryu Natsumi, _especially_ with what he could see poking out of one of her socks.

He doubted that was a water gun.

So yes, jumping out of the car was sounding better by the second; then again he was sure _any_ alternative would sound more attractive in such a situation…

He blinked a couple of times before his whole body shuddered at such an idea.

Except dealing with Junko.

He was still _not_ that desperate.

At least he wasn't given much time to think of _that_ particular alternative, considering how he was suddenly pulled by the front of his hoodie with such force that it made him squeak in surprise, a shock that wasn't helped by how close his face suddenly got to an obviously infuriated blue-eyed blonde.

Their noses were almost touching in fact, and in the back of his head a part of him was proud about the fact that the sudden nervousness that filled him was not because of his close proximity with a cute girl.

Well, he would be lying if he said that such a thing wasn't a part of it, but the fact that he knew Kuzuryu Natsumi could easily make him disappear without a trace was definitely what had him almost breaking in a cold sweat.

"Listen here, _dear_." With her tone of voice, it was more than obvious to the Luckster that Natsumi was doing her best to avoid using a more _colorful_ language towards him. "I did not sacrifice time from my busy schedule just to have you giving me attitude. Last time you acted like a stubborn idiot Peko almost killed you, remember? "

He definitely did, he doubted his body would forget that day even if it had been two years already.

"And I would like to avoid a repeat of that day as much as you do, I'm sure." She kept hissing at him in a low, obviously threatening tone. "Which is why you are going to stop complaining, smile and enjoy our date today and if you're _lucky_ I'll drop you off early enough so that you can continue playing charity with that girl, understood?"

The time-traveler was then pushed back by the girl who finished saying her piece, and with his back hitting the seat behind him Makoto's face turned into a lost, confused face while Natsumi herself simply crossed her arms below her chest just as she narrowed her gaze towards the boy.

And to his credit, it did only take him a full minute before his brain caught up with was she had said.

"…wait, d-date…?!"

Almost, at least.

"…You're so lucky I find you cute." Natsumi whispered under her breath just as she massaged her forehead.

At least they were already at their stop.

* * *

She was like a black blur, her form jumping from the roof of every car on the street with such a grace and precision that it almost looked inhuman in a sense.

But for the Soldier doing so, she couldn't have cared less about how she looked at the moment.

No, for the only thing on her mind was how close she was to her target.

It seemed that her objective itself had also realized that though if the rather irresponsible way the vehicle was now being driven was any indication.

The fact that they were now putting one Naegi Makoto on unnecessary danger was enough to make her narrow her eyes.

That wouldn't do at all.

So with a jump and a thud, her body landed straight on the roof of the speeding black car.

But even though it was moving a such a speed she had no problems with keeping her balance just as she stood straight.

And with a raised hand, she struck.

* * *

"I apologize for the delay, Ojou-sama."

"It's fine, I made you change cars halfway here anyway so I expected this much." Natsumi said so with a shrug, earning nothing but a grateful nod and a small bow from the rather scary-looking driver if Makoto was forced to describe him in any way.

"I… still don't get why we did that." The Luckster mumbled confusedly with a flushed face. He would have cared more about the details, but the fact that the fingers of his right hand were currently intertwined with Natsumi's left hand had him more nervous than what he would like to admit.

How could she keep such a straight face while holding his hand like this?!

"Call it a hunch." The blonde declared with a smirk right before she pulled him by the hand just as she walked towards the building in front. "Now c'mon, we don't have time to waste and this is supposed to be one of the best stores in Tokyo."

The fact that they were followed by half a dozen men wearing suits and looking like they could kill people with just a look, did little to help Makoto with his sudden bout of nervousness.

* * *

The driver screamed.

The man sitting on the passenger seat followed suit.

She just pulled her hand from the roof, tearing off a part of it as if it was nothing, and gave the obviously scared duo a fierce gaze.

"W-we won't talk…!" The driver declared bravely.

And in response, she just tilted her head.

Five minutes, a completely demolished limousine, a rope and a bucket of water later they were certainly doing a lot more than just talking.

* * *

"So? You think it would look good?" Natsumi asked in honest curiosity while she gave the jacket hanging from her hand a look full of appraisal.

He opened his mouth to respond, with the thing that his brain wanted to blurt out being how he knew for a fact that the blonde to his side would look good in pretty much anything, even the school uniform that she was wearing right now.

He closed it before he was able to speak however, deciding that it was better to be silent than to just splutter around like an idiot. He wouldn't have to worry about that if Natsumi hadn't decided that moment to move her thumb across the back of his hand just as she made the hold that she had on his hand even fiercer.

He gave her a glance from the corner of his eyes, hoping that his embarrassment wasn't _that_ obvious on his face.

The smugness in her smirk told him that it was, in fact, _that_ obvious.

"We would be here all day if you didn't wear your emotions on your sleeve." The amusement on Natsumi's voice was more than obvious, something that only had him groaning slightly.

"W-wouldn't it be easier if we weren't h-holding hands?" He questioned honestly, truly not understanding why even now their hands were still connected, besides the obvious joy that she got from leaving him flustered.

…He hoped that wasn't her _only_ reason.

"Oh? And I bet you wouldn't miss the chance to _escape_ if I did, now would you?" She said with a small frown, one that only had him chuckling awkwardly in response.

He would never say out loud that the idea had crossed his head already, but to do such a thing…

"E-even if I actually tried…" His words were followed by the young man giving the rather spacious and fancy-looking store a searching look. "I think you already got that covered…"

Suffice to say, the men that followed them, or rather the girl to his side, didn't exactly blend together nicely with the store's interior.

The fact that the people working didn't seem to care made him wonder just how used they were to having a small army like that inside their business.

It didn't help that they were giving him thumbs-up or waving at him whenever he stared at them, almost as if they were proud of whatever this was supposed to be.

"So you _would_ just run off if you could, huh?" And now the Yakuza princess was giving him a look that told him she wasn't impressed by him in the slightest, however against such a thing he did nothing but to shake his head firmly.

"I w-wouldn't." He spoke firmly before using his free hand to scratch his cheek. "I mean… I couldn't just leave you alone…" It would be rude after all, and he had certainly been rude enough with the blonde for a lifetime.

"…of course you wouldn't." Luckily for him, Natsumi seemed satisfied with his answer if the smile that appeared on her lips was any indication.

The moment said smile turned way too sly for his taste though, was when the cold sweat started to hit in.

And with how she suddenly used the fact that they were holding hands to her advantage in order to twist his own arm behind his back, he would like to think that his worries were justified.

"Now c'mon, I think that jacket would suit you better than me." Natsumi's sing-song voice compliment his own struggled spluttering quite nicely, but every attempt that the Luckster did to escape her grasp was met with nothing but failure. "That way you won't go around with that damn hoodie all the time."

"W-what's wrong with my hoodie?" He asked, truly feeling offended that his favorite piece of cloth was being attacked, while also using his free hand to keep himself from being pushed inside the changing room that Natsumi was apparently very adamant on using.

"The fact that you think there's nothing wrong with using it all the time _is_ the problem with it." And even though he wasn't able to see her face, he could feel the smirk that she was most likely sporting at the moment. "Now stop being a child and get in there. I'll even _help_ you."

"That's kind of the issue here…!" That and he had seen the price of that thing.

There was no way in hell he was letting her buy something like that for him.

Luckily, or unluckily depending on who you asked, he was saved from going inside a tight space with a girl he could only describe as _dangerous_ by one of the aforementioned scary-looking bodyguards coughing slightly to their side with the obvious intention of getting their attention.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your moment, Ojou-sama." The fact that said man, who easily towered over the two mind you, actually seemed to break into a cold sweat as soon as Natsumi's less than pleased glare landed on him, only served as a reminder of the blonde's status.

"What?" She hissed behind him, and for the first time she also finally released her grip on his hand in order to put both of her hands on her hips. "Someone better be dying if you came to interrupt us."

"W-well…" The man actually stuttered, to the point that the Luckster truly started feeling a bit bad for him. "W-we lost contact with the decoy group…"

Such words were followed by Natsumi actually growling, something that actually had the scary-looking man suddenly deciding to use something as a shield just in case his mistress decided to express his anger towards him.

"Eh?" Sadly for the Luckster, it seemed that he himself was the best protection against Natsumi's ire if the way the bodyguard was crouching behind him while grabbing him by the shoulders was any indication.

"I apologize for this, Young Master." There was nothing but honest regret in the man's voice. "But I have a wife and child back home."

"J-just please stop calling me that…" He whispered back embarrassingly to the man, who only shook his head slightly. Why had they all decided to start calling him that one day was simply beyond him.

"It would be too disrespectful to the future Young Master, Young Master."

"What do you mean-"

"Enough!" Natsumi's angry hiss was enough to make him shut his mouth tightly while the man that still had a hold on his shoulder trembled in response.

He was then forcefully separated from the still trembling bodyguard, who he could have sworn actually whimpered at being at the receiving end of Natsumi's heated glare.

"C'mon, we're using the emergency exit then." The Yakuza princess certainly wasted no time in reclaiming his hand as her own right before she started to guide him towards another section of the store.

"W-wait, why are we-"

"Shush you; I'm making a phone call." He ended up just giving the blonde a look filled with confusion just as she brought her phone to her ear.

"It's time." The fact that said call only lasted less than five seconds only managed to confuse him even more.

* * *

"I must take my leave, Young Master." The Ultimate Swordswoman declared just as she pocketed her cellphone, simply earning a raised eyebrow from the smaller blonde, who went quickly to check on the papers on his hand.

"It was Natsumi? Then yeah, sure." Fuyuhiko just waved his hand lazily, not knowing exactly what was going on, but having no issue with it if it involved his dear sister.

"Thank you, I shall be back shortly." And with a small vow, the silver-haired Ultimate moved to leave the Ultimate Yakuza's room.

"Wait." Fuyuhiko's voice regarded her just as she reached the door however, forcing her to look back at the frowning blonde. "You better not tell Natsumi about the surprise, you hear me? At least not until I get Makoto's signature in this thing."

His words were accompanied by waving a piece of paper, one that the Swordswoman knew perfectly well by now.

"I…promise to not say a thing, Young Master." And while Pekoyama Peko loved the Ultimate Yakuza to death, and would do everything in her power to protect him, she was also aware that he sometimes needed to learn his lessons by himself.

How the blonde had managed to get his sister's signature in that thing without her realizing it was still something beyond her comprehension.

"Good!" Fuyuhiko's voice came out with so much pride and confidence that it honestly made her feel a bit bad. "Can't wait to see the look on her face after I show her this!"

Then again, considering the look he was giving to that paper, Peko honestly had to wonder which Kuzuryu would love such a union the most.

Not that she had any room to judge though, considering how having the Luckster as a formal member of the clan honestly made her feel giddy on the inside.

"I'll be leaving now." She would just have to make sure her Master's little sister didn't beat him up too much for doing such things behind her back.

Something told her that any anger Natsumi might have after she found out would only be momentarily though, once she realized what it actually meant.

But right now, she had another type of conflict that she needed to intervene in.

* * *

"Oh no…" There was nothing but fear and apprehension dripping from his tone just as his brown eyes focused on the name of the establishment in front of him.

This…this was not good.

Out of all the possible places that Natsumi could have chosen, out every little store in the city, it just had to be _this_ one…?!

Was it some sort of joke? Or was it just his luck acting up once more?

Maybe it was a punishment that the blonde girl had decided to inflict into him.

A quick look to his side proved that to not be the case though, or at least that is what he got from the confused frown that Natsumi was throwing his way, definitely a response to his sudden comment.

He supposed that he could only blame his luck on this one then.

That thing had certainly been working extra hours today it seemed.

"What? You don't like candy now?" Natsumi questioned with a narrowed gaze, to which he could only shake his head slightly in response.

He certainly wasn't _against_ them. In fact, at one point he was sure his body had become actually _addicted_ to the damn thing.

That was actually one of the problems though.

Especially considering that the one that had made him addicted in the first place was most definitely inside of the building in front of him.

A shiver went down his spine, for he knew for a fact that _she_ wouldn't be alone.

She never was.

And in his mind, he just knew that he had to do _something_ before this already chaotic day somehow became even more absurd.

But by the time his brain actually decided to function again, it was already too late, for his fate was sealed the moment Natsumi dragged him across that store.

The bell announcing their entrance ended up being the sound of his doom

"Welcome-Makoto…?"

"Ma-kun?!"

At least he could hope for things to not go _that_ badly, right?

Right…?

* * *

Somehow, and contrary to his beliefs, things hadn't actually ended as bad as he had believed they could…

"Leave him alone, you delinquent!"

"I dare you to say that again, you bitch!"

No no, it had somehow ended _worse_.

Being used as some sort of make-shift rope in a sick game of thug and pull was already bad enough

The sound of metal clashing against metal only added more to his growing headache.

Looking at the bright side though, he supposed it was better to be between the princess of the greatest Yakuza gang in existence and the Ultimate Confectioner, than in the middle of the clash between the Ultimate Swordswoman and the Ultimate Blacksmith.

His positive outlook could only carry him so far though, especially with how his arms felt as if they were going to be ripped out of his body at any second by now.

"Yoi-chan, give me a hand over here!" It was the older Ultimate, Ando Ruruka, who yelled through gritted teeth just as she gave an exceptionally strong pull to his arm.

"In a second, Ruruka-chan." And in response, he heard Izayoi Sonosuke, the Ultimate Blacksmith, answering calmly while focused on his own endeavor.

Considering that said endeavor was to block a swing of Pekoyama Peko's blade with a pair of kunai, he could only assume that the older Ultimate needed all the focus that he could get.

The fact that such spectacle was giving the Luckster some really bizarre sense of dejavu was enough to make his already alarmed eyes grow even wider.

And it had only taken around five minutes for his situation to devolve into…whatever this was supposed to be.

His two former senpais recognizing him had been the first sign.

Natsumi's mean comment had been the second, followed by her refusing to let go of his hand was the second sign.

And with Peko's sudden appearance, which had almost give him a heart attack, to say the least, things had quickly turned into a hot mess.

"Hya!" He wasn't really surprised though, for Natsumi to end up being the strongest one of the two, since with another mighty pull he ended pretty much glued to the blonde with the way she was now hugging his arm while growling towards Ruruka, who had fallen on her behind as a result of the blonde's surprising strength.

"Seriously, why do you attract every weirdo in the area…?!" Natsumi whispered into his ear, and the part of him that felt actually offended at such comment had him opening his mouth to respond.

And he would have…!

…If the door to Ruruka's shop hadn't suddenly been opened with enough force to actually gain everyone's attention, even of the fighting duo.

Even the other clients ended up just moving their cellphones from the fight to the door, and while he would have thought that having people fighting with _real_ weapons would have been enough to send the costumers into panic, apparently they were happy just enjoying the show.

He supposed _someone_ should be happy right now.

Because once his brown eyes landed on the newcomer, he certainly felt like apologizing to Natsumi instead of complaining about her comment.

After all, he had no doubts that Mukuro's sudden appearance was a direct result of him being here.

The groan that Natsumi released certainly told him that she agreed.

He would give credit to the Ultimate Soldier though…

At least it took her almost half a minute to pull out her own knife before joining the fray.

And with the chaos unfolding in front of his eyes, he barely even felt as he got dragged by a very frustrated blonde.

Although at least, at the back of his head with whatever fraction of rationality was left, he did hope that Mukuro hadn't left both Komaru and Monaca by themselves…

* * *

"So…does this happen often?" Yasuke asked while slowly licking the ice-cream in his hand, for even if he preferred silence, the awkwardness surrounding him and the two girls sitting on the bench was way too much, even for him.

"…yes." The dejected girl with the ahoge answered, seemingly not the bit interested in the cone in her hand. "I just hope Onii-chan's fine."

"Knowing him, he's probably with a girl somewhere." Besides knowing that Makoto had been kidnapped, he honestly could only guess.

But based on the defeated way that guy's little sister lowered her head, he supposed he was correct on his assumption.

"What…did you say?" Said question didn't come from the Naegi though. No, it actually came from his right, to be more precise from the green-haired girl that had kept to herself every since he had arrived.

"Just that knowing the guy, he's probably sucking f-" He would have continued his words if the girl in the wheelchair hadn't suddenly smacked him right on his hand.

It didn't hurt per se.

But his cone of ice-cream falling from his grasp and meeting the ground with a wet thud certainly hurt him a lot more than what he would like to admit.

He gave the melting ice-cream a lost gaze before giving the green-eyed girl a look, one that was only returned by glare just as she took a bite out of her own ice-cream, almost as if daring him to even try something.

"Do you…want mine?" And as nice as Naegi Komaru's proposal sounded, it somehow only hurt whatever was left of his pride even more.

* * *

"Well…at least they're putting quite the show."

Those words were, in Makoto's opinion, way too much of an understatement.

He would admit that yes, seeing the Ultimate Swordswoman, Ultimate Soldier and former Ultimate Blacksmith crossing blades was definitely quite the sight.

The fact that he had been somehow dragged into a rooftop in which he would see the battle quite clearly only added more to the view.

That, however, only made him want to bang his head against the metal rail he was holding even more.

"We need to stop this!" He suddenly declared in a hurry before quickly turning around to move towards the stairs.

He was promptly stopped by certain blonde grabbing the hood of his hoodie, stopping him right in his track.

"And what will you exactly do, huh? Throw yourself at the middle and hope they stop before cutting you to pieces?"

"…w-well…"

"…Oh my god, I was just joking, you idiot!" With him being suddenly turned around right before Natsumi grabbed by the front of his clothes, he had to wonder if he was actually safer here rather than in the middle of three trained individuals using real weapons.

"B-but it worked last time…" He confessed, almost meekly

The way in which Natsumi's glare intensified told him that he should have just kept that little tidbit to himself.

Luckily, he was saved by the bell.

Quite literally, in fact, considering the jingle that suddenly came out from one of Natsumi's pockets.

And while Natsumi gained a confused expression, the Luckster's face only paled after hearing such a thing.

It was coming out from his phone, after all, one that Natsumi had confiscated after kidnapping him.

"Headmaster…?" He heard the blonde whisper after taking out his phone and seeing who it was, right before throwing the device at him. "It's for you."

And to show that he was learning from his mistakes, he wisely didn't add any comments to that, and instead focused on what he knew wouldn't be a pretty call.

"Hello? Headmaster-san?"

"…"

"Hai, I k-know…"

"…"

"N-no! I mean, I don't think- I mean I'm here but-yes they started fighting because… "

"…"

"…Hai, I'll do my best."

"…"

"I'll be sure to d-drop by tomorrow then…sorry."

A sigh filled with tiredness left his lips as soon as the man on the other end of the line ended the call, his shoulders sagging just as he gave the device in his hand a sad, almost defeated look.

That…could have gone better.

He didn't know what hurt the most, if the fact that the Headmaster's first assumption was that he was involved into this somehow, or that he had actually been _right_ about that.

"You know…" Natsumi's voice filled his ears a few seconds later, but by her tone, he would get no sympathy from the blonde. "This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't ignored me for almost three weeks by now."

And against such a snide comment, Naegi Makoto's patience actually started to run thinner.

After all, today was supposed to be a relaxing day, one that he was going to use to start showing certain Li'l Ultimate that the world itself wasn't filled the terrible people like her relatives and that she didn't have to seclude herself, even from her friends.

He was even going to use the chance to patch things up with Komaru, after all having his little sister looking at him all the time with either disappointment or anger wasn't something he wanted to get used to.

But instead, here he was, now having to stop three of his friends from harming each other after being dragged around against his will.

And normally, he wouldn't have minded. Usually, he would have taken it in stride, for after years of being an Ultimate, he had learned that it was simply part of the course.

But today, he couldn't.

Because just imagining Monaca's disappointed face, alongside Komaru's betrayed expression was enough to make the hold he had on his phone so tight to the point his knuckle almost turned white.

And the one responsible for such a thing was now just blaming him of everything?

He wasn't one to get upset easily, but right now Kuzuryu Natsumi was really pushing it.

So when he turned his face towards her, it was with a frown, with his lips parting just as he was about to voice his feelings towards the blonde girl.

But as soon as his eyes landed on her form, his mouth ended up closing, his eyes blinking just as his frown became softer by the second.

Natsumi wasn't even looking at him, or even at the spectacle below them. No, instead she had her gaze set firmly on pretty much nothing, with her elbows set on the rail at the edge of the rooftop while her chin rested on both of her hands, her eyes set on a lost, faraway look that he had rarely seen in the girl.

And it was one that he didn't like one bit.

Kuzuryu Natsumi was a strong-willed, prideful and fierce girl, after all, one that had no problems with getting what she wanted, even if she had to fight for it.

She was the young woman who had the greatest Yakuza group under her, to the point that even her brother had once told him that she was the one best fit to lead said organization.

And with such a girl, seeing such a sad look on her normally confident gaze just felt…wrong.

For the last time he had seen her like this… well, it wasn't a pretty memory.

Even if it had also been the day he could truly say they had become friends.

It was only then that he truly thought of the words that she had said, and once that he did he found himself only being able to sigh slightly while scratching the back of his head, his previous anger suddenly being washed away by a sense of guilt.

She had been right, hadn't she? In the end, he _had_ kind of ignored her for the past weeks.

He couldn't even say that he hadn't had the time to check on her, for he could have certainly done so every time he went to the Reserve Course.

He hadn't done so on purpose however, that much he was sure, but was it better just not noticing that he had ignored one of his oldest friends in Hope's Peak Academy?

After all, while back on his future he had barely known about the girl that was Kuzuryu Natsumi, here they had known each other for more than two years already.

Had the words of her brother really scared him that much, or had his hunt for this new Ultimate Despair blinded him that much? He honestly wasn't sure right now.

And while he was still more than a bit annoyed at her actions today, he just couldn't say that he wasn't at fault here too.

It was with such thoughts that he moved closer to where she was standing, close enough so that their shoulders were almost touching. The girl showed no reaction, however, and instead opted to simply keep looking forward, almost as if waiting for him to give the first step.

And as the older one of the two, he supposed that it was only right. They might look the same age, after all, but technically he was around six years older than Natsumi by now.

…That made him feel old for some reason.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, albeit loud enough so that the blonde would hear him.

And with how she was now looking at him from the corner of her eyes, he knew that he had her complete attention.

"You're right, I shouldn't have ignored you." His voice dropped with nothing but sincerity just as he kept his eyes forward. "You're my friend and…I wasn't being fair with you."

"It's just that, I…" He continued, right before closing his mouth, suddenly lost in thought. What was he supposed to say now? He knew any excuses that he could come up with would just fall flat, but saying the truth was either the last thing he wanted to do, or something that he knew would mean the same as stepping on a landmine.

And as much as he would like to think that he had learned how to lie better, he still knew that Natsumi would have no problem with calling him out if he even attempted to lie to her face.

"Ah!" Before he was able to come up with something though, a sudden bout of pain filled his arm, courtesy of the punch that the blonde had seemingly decided to land on his shoulder.

"You have that look on your face." Natsumi spoke calmly, just as a small smile appeared on her lips. "The one you get when you think too hard on a way to hide whatever is eating you up."

…huh.

Was he really that easy to read nowadays?

"To me, yes." And almost as if she had read his thoughts, the blonde continued with her words. "I also know that you're too stubborn to tell me whatever has been bothering…I'm not dumb, you know? I can tell something's upsetting you."

He gulped in response, honestly expecting an interrogation to begin right there and there.

Instead, the only thing he got was another punch to his shoulder.

"I also know that you're too stubborn to ask for help." The blonde said just as she started walking away from him and towards the door that led to the stairs they had taken to get here. "Honestly, you're somehow more stubborn than Nii-san, and that's a feat."

"But even so…" And just as the Reserve Course student was reaching the door, she turned her head to look at the Luckster from above her shoulder. "Just know that if you say the word, I'll have an army ready anywhere, anytime."

The scariest part was that, he knew she was not exaggerating even a bit.

"Now c'mon." She motioned towards the stairs with her head right before continuing her walk. "I told Peko to behave but we might as well stop this already and get you home before you get a stroke or something."

And then, her figure slowly disappeared as she opened the door and moved down the stairs.

However, to the time-traveler that was left on that rooftop, such ending was still not enough.

So it only took a second before his legs dragged him in a quick dash towards the open door, his hand grabbing the doorstep just as he reached it, with his brown eyes immediately going to the descending girl.

"N-Natsumi-chan!" His voice came out with more force than what he had expected, and he knew that it had been caught the young girl by surprise if the sudden widening of her eyes was any indication.

It didn't take long before she turned and raised her eyes to meet his brown eyes with her own olive orbs, an expression of bewilderment plastered all over her face.

"I promise to make it up to you." He declared as such, making her surprise become even more pronounced. "Next time, I'll be the one taking Natsumi-chan out, that's why…I…!"

"You mean like a date?" Natsumi's asked while blinking owlishly, right before a small grin started forming on her lips, one that, alongside her words, actually had him flushing in embarrassment.

That would not have been the choice of terms he would have used, but…

"S-sure…" Seeing that spark once more in her eyes was certainly worth the embarrassment.

And with the grin she was now sporting, he knew he had said the right thing.

It was his turn to be surprised, however, for Natsumi had then suddenly decided to extend her hand towards him, and with how close they were he knew he would have no problems with actually grasping it if he chose to do so.

It only took a couple of seconds for him to understand the meaning of her gesture, and while he knew his cheeks were probably more than a bit red at the moment, he still ended up just nodding slightly before grasping her hand with his own.

And in less than a second, he found their fingers intertwined once more.

This time though, he didn't fight it at all.

If such a thing was enough to make her happy then, who was he to complain?

Besides…

"Natsumi-chan, huh?"

"I-it just slipped…!"

He would be lying if he said that he didn't enjoy the warmness of her hand at least a bit.

* * *

"I'm _so_ sorry for what happened." He spoke while bowing deeply, while only hoping that whatever punishment they saw fit wouldn't be permanent.

"I'm just glad you're back, Onii-chan." Well, whatever punishment Komaru came up with anyway, since Monaca was too busy trying to hug him from her position in her chair.

It would have been a heartwarming scene if it wasn't for the deadpanned expression Komaru was throwing his way.

Or the one that the Ultimate Neurologist was _also_ throwing his way.

They were both even crossing their arms over their chest.

At least Komaru finally decided to take pity on the Luckster, for after sighing slightly she ended up just hugging him too, much to Monaca's displeasure.

"I'll make it up to both of you, I promise." He said towards the two younger girls, right before giving the older Ultimate a smile. "And senpai-"

"Shut up." He was, however, stopped on his tracks by Yasuke's cutting remark.

One that was followed by the obviously tired Ultimate pointing at him with his finger.

"You owe me an ice-cream." Makoto could only blink confusedly at that.

"And you need to put a leash on him or something." Yasuke then pointed towards Komaru, right before pointing at the green-haired girl who looked more than ready to bite his head off.

"…still not worth the effort." And with those partying words, the Ultimate Neurologist left with both hands on his pockets.

"…I think we should go home already." It was Komaru the one that voiced out such idea, to which the ahoge-boy found himself simply nodding in response.

"I agree." That answer, however, didn't come from him.

Instead, all three of the group ended up blinking before moving their heads to the said, their gazes landing on the owner of said voice, who also looked more than ready to follow them home.

They blinked once more.

Ikusaba Mukuro just tilted her head.

And just as Komaru moved to hide behind him while Monaca's frozen smile was followed by her right eye twitching, Naegi Makoto found himself just throwing out a tired breath.

Something told him that the dinner table would be quite packed today.

* * *

 **I'm now worrying that some readers might believe I have a bias towards blonde characters. I… probably do actually, not going to lie, but hey that just means more Junko in the future and that's always a good thing, right? (This is my way of saying there will be more Junko next chapter)**

 **A part of me actually wanted to write a more detailed fight between the three Ultimates, but I might as well save some of that action for the future.**

 **I think this chapter answers some questions about Natsumi, albeit just a bit. Mostly just a fun chapter with a side-character before going back into the fray that is Hope's Peak, so to speak. That isn't to say that this chapter won't cause ripples in the future though.**

 **I know Sonosuke's and Ruruka's appearance was extremely short. For any fans of them, don't worry they will be back soon enough.**

 **I might actually start a poll soon enough, one to know just how often you readers would like the character-focus/flashback chapters since I know plenty of you really want to read one with your favorite character.**

 **There's still an extra chapter going out in 3 days, and while not a long one I'm using it to show a glimpse of something some readers have been interested for a while now. It might even answer some questions about the story too.**

 **Thank you all for your continuous support. I never expected for this story to get so many favs and follows, and for that, I can only thank you all. Now I just need to find a way to beg for reviews without sounding desperate, maybe with a joke or something.**

 **Next Chapter: Despair shall be your wingman tonight.**

* * *

 **Omake**

 **Guardian Dog: Cerberus**

Towa Monaca was not pleased.

Not even a bit

As if being denied the chance to sleep in the same bed as her Onii-chan could leave her anything but upset in the first place.

But now, as everyone slept, she had almost accomplished her objective.

Now she just needed to open the door slightly, and she would reach her Onii-chan's room!

So without missing a beat, she did so very carefully.

And the first thing her eyes saw was white fur.

She blinked twice.

And in response, the owner of said fur just perked up its head from the floor.

She gave the dog a narrowed gaze.

Said dog only tilted its head to the side while its tongue darted out of its mouth.

She moved to open the door a bit further.

The dog picked something off the floor with its fangs.

And she swore that if it was some stupid toy she would-was that a knife?

She blinked, thrice this time.

The dog moved its maw, making the object in its mouth to shine a bit with the moonlight.

That… was a really big knife, Monaca noticed.

She then closed the door, right before slowly walking back to that dumb girl's room.

'You win this one' She thought just as she covered her body with a blanket.

Her greatest enemy to date had finally made itself know.


	21. Those Left Behind

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to both RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama.**

 **Chapter 0**

 **Those Left Behind**

It was that time of the year already.

The only day out of the 365 that had her standing at such a place.

It was a ritual to her by now, for that was the only way she could describe it.

She knew it wasn't a particularly healthy one though, or at least she doubted that it was.

But even so, every year she found herself here, in the same spot of this abandoned room, her purple eyes looking at the strange piece of machinery in front of her with what could only be described as a faraway look.

For exactly this day, and in this same spot five years ago, had been the last time she had seen the Ultimate Lucky Student she had known for years by then.

Naegi Makoto…

Just thinking of his name was already enough to make her release a quiet sigh, her eyes closing right before she took a deep breath, with one of her gloved hands twitching without her even noticing.

Five years and yet just thinking about him still got such a reaction out of her…

She wasn't supposed to be this emotional; she wasn't even _supposed_ to be here. How was it, that from all of her former classmates, she ended up being the weakest one of them all when it came to this matter?

They had all taking his complete absence in their own different ways, and even though they tried their best to hide it she was very well aware of their pain.

Asahina's smiles had lost a part of their cheerfulness once more.

Hagakure had just outright disappeared, saying that there wasn't really any reason for him to stay.

Fukawa had focused her all to take care of the last Naegi around, and she could only be glad of such a fact. His younger sister had been the one that took it the hardest, after all.

And even Togami, who liked to act as if he had been unaffected by it all, had decided to throw himself at his own work. Just a way to distract himself, that much she knew, but it wasn't something that she would call him out on.

For she was guilty of doing the same in the first place.

But even then, none of them were here on this day, acting as if he had died and this place was his grave.

'He's fine.' Is something that she kept repeating herself in her mind from time to time.

'He's in a better place now.' She knew that it was a reality, but even so, she still had to assure herself of such a thing.

Not that coming here ever gave her the answer she was looking for. Was he happy? Was he safe? She didn't know, but she hoped that he was.

She had been, after all, the one that convinced him of going along with this…project.

She walked slowly into the room, her body tense just as she reached the strange-looking machine.

She trailed her glove-covered fingers alongside the rather large tube that stood proudly at the middle of it, right before another shaky breath left her lips.

It had not been fair, that much she knew.

If she had told him to stay, she knew he would have done so in a heartbeat.

And even to this day, when the pain became too much to bear and she was at her weakest, she imagined how the past years would have been if he had never left…

But she was aware that such a thing could only remain as such: An illusion that she kept hidden on the darkest corner of her mind for her and her alone.

It was her punishment, she supposed, but she would gladly take it over the alternative.

Because for as much as they had all ended up depending on the Luckster, it was only her who saw how everything had changed him.

The pain that showed in his gaze whenever he thought no one was looking, the lies about the terrors that plagued him whenever he slept, the guilt that had been slowly eating him away.

He always smiled it off, but she had known better.

And it had been her own fears what had made her convince him of accepting _his_ offer.

For Kirigiri Kyoko could have dealt with a lot of things, even death itself if she had to…

But seeing Naegi Makoto fall slowly into despair was not one of them.

She would _never_ give Enoshima Junko such satisfaction, even if it caused herself such pain.

But she had been unable to help him, no one had been and god knows they had tried.

Their uselessness when it came to such matters probably had to do with the reason everyone had agreed with her plan, even if for one of them it had meant losing her last family member.

Naegi Komaru was the strongest one of them all, she had decided that day.

"If you keep doing this every year someone is bound to find out about it, Kirigiri."

The lost gaze that she had disappeared in less than a second as soon as the sound of _his_ voice reached her ears, and instead, it was nothing but aloofness what showed in her gaze, with a rather sharp look from her part being aimed at the newcomer.

"…How long did you know?" She asked just as she walked away from the machine, with her cold visage being matched easily by a pair of mismatched eyes.

"For a while now." The man standing now in front of her answered with a shrug. "I haven't told anyone if that worries you, just so you know."

She nodded slowly at his words before another sigh left her lips, with her arms crossing below her chest just as she raised an eyebrow at the older man.

"And what, pray tell, brings you here…" She asked slowly, and in response, the man only seemed to adjust the tie of his suit. "Hinata-san."

"We all have our ways of coping, Kirigiri." Hinata Hajime answered just as he sighed himself. "I simply found myself with nothing else to do, so I just wanted to make sure you weren't trying anything…strange."

She almost snorted at his words, knowing very well what he meant by now.

"You're still overprotective of that thing as always, even though you're the only one that knows how it even works." How could someone build a time-traveling machine was still something that went beyond her understanding of how the world worked, but she supposed that if someone could make it work, then it had to be this man.

The fact that the former Ultimate Hope was nothing short of secretive about the inside details of how he had built a time-machine of all things only added to the weirdness of it all.

"I haven't destroyed it out of sheer consideration." He explained while giving her a narrowed gaze. "Messing with time is not something that should be taken lightly."

"And yet, you let Naegi-kun use it…"

"I trust him." The former Ultimate Hope answered without missing a beat. "If I hadn't I would have never made this thing in the first place."

Nothing but silence followed such declaration, and once more the former Ultimate Detective found herself wondering how deep said trust even went. Of course, she understood how the Luckster had a knack for befriending even the toughest people around, but even so…

"Have you ever considered it?" She asked after turning around to look once more at the machine while standing by the man's side. "Using it yourself?"

Once more it was nothing but silence what came as an answer, one that was only broken by him grunting a bit before turning around on his spot, and she could see that his hands had been clenched tightly into fists already.

"All the time." He answered truthfully and with nothing but pain dripping from his tone. "But right now, as I am…I can't, not when we- _I_ haven't atoned for what I did…" His voice became progressively softer with each word he spoke until they turned into nothing but whispers. "I would never be able to face _her_ until I do so…"

She wasn't sure if she was meant to hear that last part, so she could only give more silence back in response.

It was the sound of his footsteps as the former Despair moved back to the entrance the only thing that resounded on the forgotten room.

"We both know what it means to live with regrets." But even as he was about to leave, it seemed he still had some last words for her. "But even so, the only thing we can do is to move forward… after all, that's what they would have wanted….don't you think so, Headmaster?"

He was correct, and she knew that, but she still kept to herself just as he left, with a half-lidded stare crossing her eyes soon after.

She always had to wonder, what would he think if he could see her right now? Would he be proud? Disappointed? Probably worried that she was working herself to the bone, all things considered, but even so…

"I miss you…" She whispered softly, allowing herself to be weak for just a second right before she took another deep breath.

She knew it was unbecoming of her.

She was the Headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy, and right now as the world still struggled to build itself back, the last thing she could show was her being weak.

She was being selfish right now, at least in her mind she was.

Then again, her Luckster always did manage to bring out the rarest of feelings in her…

And even without him here, he seemed to still have an effect on her.

Was it her own fault then? A punishment for getting too close to someone like Naegi Makoto?

…no, for that would mean she regretted it.

And while she had many of those, meeting him, knowing him, _trusting_ him would never be one of them.

Not being honest with him when she had the opportunity though, she decided just as she turned around, ended up becoming her greatest regret of them all.

But just as the sound of each one of her steps filled the room, nothing but a mask of coldness appeared on her face.

This was the only day of the year in which she allowed herself to act in such a way.

But the next day she was back at being Hope's Peak Headmaster and one of the heads of Future Foundation.

She had a legacy to uphold.

* * *

Cold.

There was nothing but coldness.

It was always like this, no matter what they did.

They always found themselves here, in the same prison.

They hated it.

They felt so weak, so useless here.

Trapped, without a way to escape…

No, that wasn't completely true.

They still went to school, they still lived their lives, and they still saw their friends each day that passed…

But that wasn't freedom.

They were nothing but a puppet, shown around to keep up appearances.

They couldn't even trust their own memories by now…

They were tired...

So tired...

When would this end?

When the world got consumed by destruction, death, chaos, and despair? Were those nightmares inevitable by now?

They had tried to warn someone, _anyone_ already…specially _him_.

But it never worked. They were never able to do so.

They never remembered this hell.

They just wanted for this to end.

This nightmare.

This torture…

Please, make it end.

* * *

"What is…this?" She asked with a small frown, her gaze locked onto the object now resting on top of her new bed.

That…had not been there last time she had checked.

She walked towards it slowly, her gaze never leaving its form just as she reached her bed, closing the distance until she could have easily picked the thing right from the mattress.

She looked around her room in a vain attempt to find any clue as to who had left this here, or why for that matter.

Was this going to be the new normal for her? First a letter from that prestigious school for the so-called 'Ultimates', and now this?

At least said letter didn't just appear in her room one day though, unlike this…

After biting her lower lip softly, she ended up moving her hands towards the object, her fingers grasping around it carefully.

She raised it slowly, leaving it at eye level.

Turning it around to try and find any details that might help gave her no new answers, however, to the point she was simply left looking right at what she could only assume was its eyes.

That was a strange way of designing an eye, but she supposed it fit the black side of the thing.

And with that face…it was almost as if it was actually smiling towards her…

A sudden movement from it though was enough to make her drop the thing, with a gasp leaving her lips just as she gave a doubtful step back, her frown becoming more pronounced while she looked down at the fallen object.

It…it was looking up at her now, there was no denying that.

And the more that red stripe on its face shinned at her, the more her body trembled for reasons beyond her.

She only realized she had been moving backward once her back had met the door behind her.

And once she saw the thing actually standing up in an almost painfully slow fashion, while never once breaking eye contact with her, her body reacted almost in instinct.

She turned around as fast as she could, her shaking hand going instantly towards the doorknob, for something inside of her told her that staying even one more second here would be nothing short of a mistake.

However…

" **Upupupupu~"**

It was already too late.

* * *

 **I thought a while about what kind of chapter to make. Original idea was to make a non-canon joke fest and leave it at that, however since the previous chapters ended up being lighthearted ones I decided to try something different here.**

 **With this being a time-travel fic and all, what better theme than the future, present, and past (in that order)? I have wanted to show a glimpse of the future that Makoto left for a long while now, so here's that bit. The other two sections, well, like I said they are the current present and past of this story**

 **The title is the other point of this chapter, to show those that Makoto simply can't help right now, either because he's just unable, because he's unaware of their suffering of because it's simply too late already.**

 **Take that 'too late' as you will. Before I wanted to make sure that I showed that Despair wasn't just sitting on their thumbs doing nothing, but with this, I really want to hammer that point in.**

 **This chapter is sponsored by my neighbor's internet which I had to…borrow, yes, while next one is most definitely going to be a fluff fest featuring my favorite characters from original Danganronpa.**

 **A whole year has passed since I started this fic, and I'm truly thankful for Danganronpa V3 which rekindled my love for the series (and made me replay the previous two games again). Of course, my gratitude also goes to Putain de Plagieur, Veos G17, and Jibster, since their stories directly inspired this one, to** **RWBYJNPR and Zephyrius29 for helping me up the quality of this story, and to the readers who have followed up this fic thus far.**

 **I can only hope everyone reading this has enjoyed this far, and that you will continue enjoying it until next year where I will write about Nagito Komaeda writing fanfiction about Makoto or something.**

 **Next Chapter: Despair shall be your wingman tonight.**


	22. Heartfelt Emotions

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **AN: Thanks to RWBYJNPR for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama.**

 **Chapter 18**

 **Heartfelt Emotions**

Sleepovers were still a bit of an alien concept for one Naegi Makoto.

It wasn't that he didn't know the concept of one or anything like that, of course.

But rather, he just never had the chance to experience them that much as he grew up.

He never had that many friends growing up, at least not until he was admitted into Hope's Peak, and since during his first tenure at that school he had actually lived there, there wasn't really an opportunity for such an activity.

And with everything that happened after…suffice to say, sleepovers were the last thing that had crossed his mind during the more turbulent times.

His second time as Hope's Peak student brought several changes, though.

One of them being the fact that he now still lived with his parents, rather than just moving to one of Hope's Peak many rooms for the students that decided to take refuge there.

Maybe it had been selfish on his part, all things considered, but the last thing he had wanted to do after seeing his family reunited after years was to suddenly leave them.

Back on the topic though, another change that it brought was that his number of friends had increased, by _a lot_. He wasn't trying to brag or anything, but it was hard to describe it in any other way.

His parents also weren't against any of his friends staying at his home, for that matter.

So why then, were sleepovers such a strange experience to him?

To put it in just one word, it was _fear_.

Just imagining how _any_ of his friends would react if he suddenly woke up screaming or soaked in cold sweat was enough to truly make him shiver. The fact that some of them weren't really good at keeping secrets only made it even more terrifying.

Of course, this didn't mean that he had never slept in the same room as other people. Sometimes, it was just an inevitable thing, after all, even if said moments were rare, and so far it was only sheer luck that he never had an episode in such situations.

And contrary to what his title might imply, he wasn't going to believe that luck was going to keep him safe forever.

Like before though, sometimes such situations were simply unavoidable.

And it was because of that fact that he had been rambling about sleepovers in his head for the past five minutes.

Well that, and the need to distract himself with _something_.

"Mmmm…" Monaca's soft mumbling brought him back to reality though, an easy feat considering her arms even squeezed him tightly too.

And honestly, if he didn't know better, he would say that she was even purring just as her unconscious form snuggled as close as possible to his right side.

Convincing his parents of letting the younger girl sleep in his room had been easy enough after he had explained her situation and his reasoning.

That had apparently been taken as an open invitation to _anyone_ interested in the idea of resting in the same room as him.

And by anyone, he meant the Ultimate Soldier that had followed them home that evening.

And Komaru too, for that matter, who had been adamant about having to make sure nothing _weird_ happened tonight.

The fact that his parents had no complaints about Mukuro's request, although at the time it had sounded almost like a demand, left him with more than a couple of conflicted feelings.

His room wasn't _that_ big though, so the futons had to be brought out.

Monaca had looked so unpleased with it all that he could have sworn the arm-rest of her chair had started cracking under the pressure of her grip.

Still, someone had to take the bed though, and since he wasn't going to take it for himself, a game of rock-paper-scissors had taken place in his living room, a game that Komaru had actually won.

Although with how the three had looked, you would think Komaru had been the one that had lost.

An overcomplicated affair that had finally ended with their current arrangement, with him sleeping in the middle of his room while Monaca did her best to squeeze the life out of him as she slept, while Komaru slept soundly on his bed.

Ah right, and Mukuro just so happened to be sleeping to his left.

Thus, the need for him to distract his mind with anything at this point.

This was why he was currently just looking up at the ceiling of his room, while trying to ignore the fact that he had a classmate of his, one that he certainly found attractive, simply lying down right to his left.

He was sure his face was more than a bit flushed though, and he could only wonder if it was visible under the moonlight.

Suffice to say, sleeping was simply out of the question when the only thing he could do was to lie there awkwardly until sheer tiredness finally defeated his overworking brain.

But as if having someone like Mukuro like this wasn't bad enough for his well-being, the fact that he could feel her blue eyes making a hole in the side of his face wasn't helping either.

He was sure she hadn't even _blinked_ so far, for he certainly couldn't remember a moment so far in which he hadn't felt her gaze zoning in on him as if his face held the meaning of the universe or something like that.

He knew that the Ultimate Soldier sometimes wasn't the best with social protocols, but even so…Surely, she at least knew that just staring at someone like this wasn't exactly the best, right? And that was ignoring how adamant she had been about being in the same room as him during the night…

That was a conversation that he would be having with her first thing in the morning, to say the least.

But right now, he really didn't even know if he was supposed to say something. What exactly could he say in the first place? Tell her that her gaze was making him feel more than a bit awkward and self-conscious? Something told him that wasn't the right thing to say in this situation, but he was running out of options by the second.

And Mukuro certainly didn't look like she would close her eyes and fall asleep any time soon.

At least Monaca and Komaru seemed to be comfortable enough because at this rate it was going to be one hell of a long night…

"Naegi-kun…"

The soft whisper to his left, however, was finally able to break the tense silence that had been covering the room.

His eyes widened a bit, for even though her voice was soft it was still able to surprise him. He slowly, and with honestly a bit of doubt, turned his head towards the owner of said voice, brown orbs instantly meeting blue once both Ultimates ended face to face.

And honestly, it only made the Luckster even more nervous since he was reminded of how close they were. Nothing like with Monaca since the green-haired girl was by now using his arm as a pillow for her head, but still close enough to the point he was sure he would be able to count the freckles splashed over her nose under a better light.

Still, he did his best to keep his gaze leveled on hers, waiting for the Soldier to finally regard him again, even though she kept her silent, intense gaze focused on him once more.

It would have made him gulp if he didn't know by now that Mukuro would never hurt him.

"Are you…" The black-haired teen started, seemingly struggling with her next words if her pursed lips worked as an indication of anything. "…alright?"

Her question only made him frown in confusion, with his mind trying to understand the meaning behind said question. He doubted it was about the sleeping arrangements, but she probably did notice how tense he had been so far.

"I-I'm fine, Ikusaba-san." He doubted stuttering was the best way of convincing her of that though. "I just feel a bit tired; I guess…it was a bit of a wild day."

That wasn't far from the truth, all things considered...

Even so, he could see that something was still off about his classmate, for even though Ikusaba Mukuro was extremely good at hiding her emotions, with time he had learned more than a couple of things about her.

Their current closeness also helped a bit.

"No…" Mukuro slowly shaking her head before sighing only helped make his frown even more pronounced.

Her next words didn't help in that regard.

"Junko-chan told me that someone was targeting you…"

His eyes opened as wide as they could, and the Luckster was sure that if it wasn't for Monaca's hold on him, he would have sat up quite abruptly after hearing those words, but instead he found himself only being able to do the best fish interpretation known to mankind, with the way his mouth just opened and closed.

It might have been something he should have considered in the first place, but for some reason, he never thought that Enoshima Junko would actually tell such a thing to Mukuro. The twin's relationship had gone south almost a year ago, after all, and while he knew for a fact Mukuro still loved and cared for her sister, he hadn't been sure if the whole thing was mutual in the first place.

Mukuro had been one of the first victims of the nightmare that was the Killing Game, after all, and all under Junko's own hands.

"That's…" The disbelief and worry in his tone were plain to hear to the world, followed by nothing but silence. This was one of the last things he had wanted, for one of his friends to even knows about something like this. What was Junko trying to do by telling Mukuro in the first place?

Junko knowing that there was a new so-called Ultimate Despair out there was already troubling enough as it was, especially since the blonde's reaction last time he had seen her had been nothing short of alarming.

Now Mukuro too though? He would need an explanation from the blonde herself at this rate. He wouldn't just let her do as she wished with the Ultimate Soldier, after all, never again, even if he had to-

"Ah…!" A sudden sound of surprise escaped his lips, killing his thought process before it could continue, and the reason for that being the sudden coldness that he felt in contact with his cheek.

Moving his free hand, he immediately touched what was now caressing his face softly.

Only now he realized that it was actually Mukuro's hand.

Her digits trailed slowly at the side of his head, almost touching his ear, while her calloused palm and thumb slowly caressed his cheek, with his hold on said hand only working to press it even more against his face without him even realizing it.

His original intent of prying the hand away died mere seconds later though, for even though the action itself was shocking enough, it was the look in the Soldier's eyes the one that left pretty much speechless.

Those crystal blue pools hardly showed the feelings of the black-haired girl, after all, for they were usually like a cold visage, ones that betrayed nothing of the owner. He knew by now Mukuro just couldn't help it, for she had been trained to be like that for years. The title of Ultimate Soldier didn't come without sacrifices.

Mukuro was far from emotionless since he knew the girl could certainly express herself, even if it was in a subdued manner. There weren't many that were allowed to see that side of her though, and he could only count himself lucky for the fact that she trusted him so much to let that cold mask crumble when she was around him.

But right now? This…this was different.

For in those normally steeled eyes, Naegi Makoto could clearly see the emotion emanating from them.

 _Fear_.

"For someone to be targeting you, to the point that even Junko-chan is worried…" Mukuro's voice still came out as a whisper, but even as quiet as she was, nothing could deny the sheer worry and sorrow dripping from her tone.

"If something were to happen to Naegi-kun, I…" It was almost as if it was impossible for the girl to continue the sentence, as if just the thought was enough to paralyze her right on the spot.

His lips parted, for right there and there the only thing that he wanted was to comfort the young woman right in front of his eyes. He hated seeing his friends in pain like this, and he hated it even more when he was the source of said pain.

But once more, the change in Mukuro's eyes was enough to kill the words in his throat.

For now, there wasn't fear, but rather nothing but cold, sheer determination behind those crystal blue eyes of hers.

And in his life, he could say for certain that he had never seen such a fierce look in Ikusaba Mukuro's gaze.

In fact, said dedication was only matched by the feeling oozing from her next words.

"I will protect you, even if it costs me my life. I won't let anyone harm Naegi-kun."

He didn't like it.

He didn't want anyone sacrificing themselves for him.

He didn't want anyone getting hurt because of him.

But here she was, openly dragging herself into this mess just because she wanted to protect him. She had chosen him over Junko a long time ago, and now she was even choosing him over herself.

His throat tightened to the point he almost felt as if he couldn't breathe, and the only thing he was able to do was to keep looking at those eyes that were promising him nothing but a safe haven.

And even though her hand still felt cold against his skin, at that moment there was nothing but warmness moving through his very being.

For Ikusaba Mukuro was someone he also wanted to protect. She was the living proof that Despair itself could be overcome, and he wasn't going to let someone ruin this new chance that they both had.

"Thank you…" He whispered his own voice overwhelming with emotion. He doubted he would be able to say anything else at that moment.

Mukuro wanted to protect him even if the price to pay was her life.

He didn't want to reject her honest feelings. It wouldn't be fair of his part.

He would just have to make sure that it never came to that, then.

For as much as a part of him felt safer just by hearing her words…

That small, but genuine smile that she was now sending in his way was something that he too wanted to protect with his life.

* * *

"I recommend you revalue your priorities, Kirigiri. Tengan-san won't be able to protect you forever."

Those were not the kind of words one wanted to hear first thing in the morning.

At least, for Naegi Makoto, the last thing he wanted to see when starting his day was such an argument between two adults.

Especially such key members of Hope's Peak Academy.

Maybe coming to the Headmaster's office so early had not been the best of ideas, all things considered.

Sneaking out before Monaca and Komaru woke up had been an ordeal all by itself in the first place, and that was ignoring the issue of Mukuro wanting to follow him here, even though he was sure nothing was going to happen him on his way here.

He had been unable to convince her of that fact, which was why she was currently waiting for him outside of the office. That was the best compromise that he got from the Soldier.

At least the argument seemed to be over already, considering that the bald man that had been arguing with the older Kirigiri had then decided to just turn around and move towards the door.

He did his best to hide his own grimace once the man, Shidou if he remembered correctly, moved his eyes towards him.

And with the way Shidou's eyes narrowed, Makoto could only wonder if the man was trying to kill him with just his eyes.

The two didn't say a thing even as Shidou walked past the Luckster, and it was only once he heard the door closing behind him that the ahoge-haired boy left out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

"You should learn how to deal with people like that, Naegi-kun. They come included with the position."

The words from Jin himself however, was enough to draw the Luckster's attention, although the man himself seemed more interested in the papers resting on his desk considering that he was simply reading and signing a few of them rather than looking at Makoto.

"Is that so…?" While the Ultimate himself could frown in wonder at such idea. The closest thing he ever had like that was most definitely Munakata Kyousuke back in his early days at the Future Foundation.

"Indeed," Jin confirmed with a nod, still focused on his work. "I'll admit it does help when my students aren't trying to kill each other in public."

"Guh..." He almost gave a step back, considering how Jin's words like a punch to his gut.

"Truly, imagine my surprise when I received several calls asking me how I allowed such a thing to happen in the first place."

"T-that's…"

"Such a stroke of good luck that you were right in the area…" At this, Jin finally stopped looking at his desk, with his gaze going up to simply regard Makoto with a raised eyebrow. "…don't you think so?"

"…sorry…" He ended just hanging his head down, his tone filled with remorse. It wasn't like things had gone the way they did yesterday because he wanted them to, but it was still hard to refute that he was the cause of such events.

"Don't stress yourself too much about it." Seemingly deciding to take pity on the time-traveler, Jin ended up just shrugging. "As long as no one gets hurt, I'm willing to give my students enough leeway for the sake of their growth."

"But even so…" This time though, the Kirigiri actually had to massage the bridge of his nose. "Please do warn me beforehand. Not everyone is as understanding as I am, and I would certainly like to keep my job too."

It wasn't like he had been given time to prepare himself yesterday either, but Makoto decided that it was best to keep that little fact to himself.

"…Is that why Shidou-san was here?" He asked while looking back at the now closed door, only earning a tired breath from the Headmaster.

"Do you think he would miss a chance to complain to my face? He would kick me out of this school by himself if he could." However, that same tired expression slowly formed into quite the little victorious smirk

It was honestly a bit scary if the Luckster had to describe it.

"…What did you do?" He asked in apprehension, knowing that said expression could mean an arrangement of things.

"Ho? Haven't you heard? Yesterday's little altercation was nothing but a publicity stunt, meant to start drawing the public's interest towards the Exams we're having in a couple of months." Jin explained, almost as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, earning a look filled with incredulity from the Luckster. "Having the Ultimate Spokesperson on speed-dial does have its advantages, I'll say."

He could only chuckle awkwardly at how proud with himself Jin looked at the moment. Last time he had seen the man with such a look, it was because he had done something that very few could boast about actually accomplishing.

Namely, making one Kirigiri Kyoko flustered.

It had been quite the sight, to say the least, one that he would prefer to not remember at the moment. He didn't need to add more to his current embarrassment.

Right now, though, he was just glad that Jin seemed free from any danger of losing his position as the Headmaster of Hope's peak. The man was an invaluable ally by now, after all, but even excluding that Makoto knew by now for sure that Jin only had the best intentions regarding the school and its students.

"Now, take a seat." Jin continued while nodding to the chair on the other side of his desk. "I believe there are some things we need to go over about your…involvement during the upcoming Sports Festival."

"We're still going with _that_?" He grimaced a bit at the thought while doing as he was told.

"Of course!" The dark-haired man answered swiftly and without missing a beat. "You have any idea how hard it is to motivate the teenagers of this school? You should feel proud of how invaluable you have become as a too- I mean assistant, yes, assistant."

He decided to just ignore that little slip and take the whole thing as a compliment, for the sake of his mental health.

He was doing that a lot lately, wasn't he?

* * *

"I'm sorry, Monaca-chan."

Of all things the Li'l Ultimate had expected to hear from her older brother, that was certainly not one of them.

She looked up from the manga resting between the two, her gaze showing nothing but confusion and concern.

The frown of obvious guilt on his face only troubled her even more.

"Onii-chan? What do you mean..?" She asked in doubt before blinking, her mind trying to think of something that could have upset her only family in all but blood like this.

She couldn't come up with anything.

In fact, everything had been perfect until he had suddenly apologized for no reason.

They were alone right now, after all. Without meddlesome _Komaru_ ruining the moment with her mere existence, or that annoying classmate of her brother that had just suddenly appeared yesterday and now refused to leave his side.

It was a miracle that they were right now all by themselves, sitting at the edge of her older brother's bed.

This quiet, alone little moment that she could have with him was everything she was asking for. Even if the only thing they were doing was reading, she couldn't have cared less.

Truly a stroke of fortune for her that those two had things to do, with idiot Komaru taking the family's scary dog for a walk while the older girl had left to answer a phone call.

"It's just that…" Makoto for his part frowned down at his lap while trying to find the right way to voice out his thoughts. "I wanted this weekend to be special, but I don't think we really did anything like that…"

Those were his honest concerns, for besides the little incident yesterday, this past weekend wasn't what one would call…exciting.

It wasn't Monaca's fault though, for he could only blame himself for this one.

He had wanted for this outing to be a memorable one for the Li'l Ultimate, especially considering how this was the first time she had truly left the walls of the school in a long time.

But in his excitement, he might have failed in planning things properly.

They had spent most of the time just indoors, after all. He had known that Monaca wasn't a fan of crowds and that the girl preferred to keep mostly to herself, especially considering her secret, so he had decided to take it easy this weekend and just ease her into the idea of living in a new place.

But even so, he still wanted to make sure Monaca enjoyed herself during her stay in the Naegi household.

And while the girl had certainly never complained, he still would have preferred to give the younger Ultimate a more memorable experience than just watching T.V or reading manga.

He sometimes forgot just how ordinary his life was before Hope's Peak Academy.

That line of thought didn't manage to last for long though, considering that the next thing he felt was a pair of arms circling around his midsection.

He looked down slightly, expecting his vision to be filled with green colored hair.

Instead, what greeted him was the frowning, obviously upset face of Monaca.

It was quite the sight, considering he couldn't remember the last time the girl had looked at him in such a way.

"Onii-chan is being silly." Monaca declared in a tone that left no room for any argument whatsoever, one that only had the Luckster looking at her with a bewildered expression. "Onii-chan already did enough for Monaca… Monaca couldn't be happier right now!"

Her lips then turned upwards into a sweet smile, one with the purpose of easing her older brother out of anything that was upsetting him.

It certainly did the trick considering how Makoto's frown turned into a grateful smile to match Monaca's own.

It was in moments like this that Makoto was truly lost as to how anyone could mistreat someone like Towa Monaca.

But even if she said this was enough, in his heart it just wasn't.

"I promise that next time will be better!" The Luckster declared with conviction. "I'll have a month to prepare so I'm sure I can come up with something…"

"Eh…?" This time though, it was Monaca's turn to frown in confusion. Of course, she had known that her stay at her brother's home was just for the weekend, but with the way he spoke, he made it sound as if…

"Ah, I forgot to tell you that part." Makoto scratched his cheek in embarrassment while turning his head at the front, not noticing how Monaca's eyes darkened with each second. "I was planning on having everyone else coming here at least once first. Headmaster gave me the approval for it, so I was thinking of starting with Jataro-kun first."

And truly, after hearing those words, the Li'l Ultimate Homeroom had to do everything in her power to not show just how… _displeased_ she was with that idea.

As such, she ended up just looking down while biting her lip in nothing but frustration, almost hard enough to even draw blood. A snarl was bobbling on her throat, but she did her best to kill it before it managed to come out.

Showing that to her brother would do her no good, after all.

Her older brother was just being his normal kind self. He probably couldn't help wasting his time in those that didn't deserve it.

This weekend had been almost perfect to her, with the only dents that had ruined her mood being the interlopers that had interrupted her time with her brother.

And as if that hadn't been annoying enough, now she just had to accept that her _friends_ would be spending time like this with her brother?

Like a _family_ …?

Unforgivable.

"Monaca-chan?"

Her brother's voice, however, was like a splash of cold water. She quickly looked up, no trace of her innermost feelings in her face. Instead, nothing but a smile was plastered over her lips.

One step at a time, she told herself in her head, one step at a time.

And right now, she would just enjoy her alone time with him.

She would need to have some _words_ with her _friends_ soon enough.

* * *

"Wow, you got here a lot faster than I expected!"

That voice did little to help him in his current state. In fact, right now it was like poison to his ears, with the only thing stopping him from throwing a retort being just how focused he was at trying to _not_ die right now.

Figuratively of course. Sure, he felt like he was about to pass out, his legs were wobbling like jelly and he was sure he was about to throw up a lung, but still, no one could actually die from just running too much, right?

He truly hoped that was the case.

His raised his head slowly, for his previously hunched stance had his gaze and sweat-covered face aiming at the floor.

His annoyed brown eyes were met by such an innocent pair of blue eyes that it honestly made his eye twitch.

"You…" He spoke between labored breaths, with his hands on his knees while the glare in his eyes was still more than present. "What…did you…do?"

"Heh?" The strawberry blonde girl face sported such an honest confusion that he knew that if it was anybody else, he would have believed them. Said look of confusion quickly turned into one of realization, followed by the girl's fist going down on her palm. "Ah, that! It was just a joke, Naegi-kun!"

"A… _joke_ …!?" He whispered harshly, relieved that what the Ultimate Fashionista said wasn't actually the truth.

He had gone through his fair share of pranks during the years.

Sending a message telling him that she had kidnapped some of their classmates was not what he would consider _prank_.

He almost had a damn heart attack after receiving such a message from Junko, which also told him that he shouldn't tell anyone about it and that if he didn't come to her room as quick as possible she might just get bored.

Bored Junko was a dangerous Junko.

Well, every Junko was a dangerous Junko but this was even more so!

So, of course, he had run like a man possessed here. Now, while he had definitely improved his physical condition, and the school wasn't _that_ far away from his home, he still found himself more than a little exhausted.

The cold air of the night hadn't helped much, and the fact that Mukuro had not been anywhere to be seen had only alarmed him even more.

Fortunately, he knew his way around the school. Being aware of more than a couple of secret entrances certainly had its advantages.

So now he found himself here, glaring fiercely from the door of the Fashionista's room, while said Ultimate simply sat at the middle of her bed as she hugged a pillow to her chest, her head moving from side to side and a smile that many would call charming on her shapely lips.

"Of course!" Junko even went as far as to raise a hand and move a finger from side to side, as of to tell him just how silly he was being for even believing her in the first place. "I just wanted to spend some time with my dear Naegi-kun!"

"…What?" He could offer a dumbfound stare at the Fashionista, who was now even-why was she blushing?!

"I felt so lonely…!" Junko's hands were now on her rosy cheeks, while her eyes were closed and her whole body swayed from side to side. "And I wanted Naegi-kun to comfort me…I can't believe I said that! You shouldn't make a girl say stuff like that, Naegi-kun!"

Hearing no answer from her little performance, Junko opened her left eye slightly to see what kind of expression the Luckster was sporting.

And it was nothing short of a deadpanned one, an expression that would look a lot more natural on certain Neurologist friend of hers.

She could only pout in response.

"I bet if it was any other girl you would be a blushing mess right now…" She spoke sulkily, only earning an even more tired face from Makoto, which only made her pout even more pronounced.

"Fine…!" Junko drawled out, right before grabbing something from behind her and throwing it at the still huffing ahoge-boy. "I thought this might help!"

Makoto was barely able to catch the thing, with his eyes glazing over the small can now resting on his palm.

That judgmental look slowly moved from the beverage in his hand to the girl that had thrown it, who looked extremely proud of herself.

He did not hesitate before throwing it back at her.

"Hey!" She caught it easily, right before looking as if he had offended her in some way. "How rude! You think I poisoned it or something?!"

"…you said it, not me." He mumbled his response, only earning a huff from the direct cause of most of his suffering.

"It's not even open yet!"

"That has never stopped you before."

Only a fool would drink anything offered by Enoshima Junko.

"Fine!" She exclaimed loudly, right before quickly popping up the can and taking a sip from it, as if to prove that there was nothing wrong with her offer.

"There! Happy now?" Junko offered the drink once more while batting her eyelashes at the still clearly not amused Luckster.

Said Luckster looked at the offering for just one second before giving Junko a silent raised-eyebrow.

Instead of pouting though, this time the Fashionista gave Makoto a coy smile just as she brought the can close to her lips once more.

"Or is Naegi-kun too self-conscious about these kind of things?" She asked with a half-lidded stare aimed solely at the Luckster. "If it is with Naegi-kun though, I wouldn't mind doing it mouth-to-mouth-."

"I'm leaving."

"Wait!"

He had already turned around, completely ignoring Junko's attempt at…whatever she was trying to do, deciding that a headache just wasn't worth it.

However, just as he turned towards the open door, he found a pair of arms circling around his chest from behind him, keeping him in place and pushing his body backward.

If it wasn't obvious enough as to who was hugging him, the soft sensation on his back certainly made it so.

"You shouldn't leave a girl like me out of your sight, Naegi-kun," Junko whispered softly into his ear, only making him turn his head slightly to glare properly at her, and in turn, she only smirked back.

"What do you want?"

"I'm just trying to help you here, Naegi-kun."

"You could have fooled me…"

"Heh…and here I thought you would jump right at the chance of helping our resident walking-talking wet-dream."

He didn't know how to fell about the fact that he knew immediately who she was referring to.

"If you did anything to Asahina-san, I swear-"

"And as much as I would like to take you on that offer." The model drawled out right before resting her chin on his shoulder "I swear I haven't done anything to tits-for-brains."

"Stop calling her that…!" He whispered harshly, only earning a small giggle in response.

"Protective, aren't we?" Her hold on the Luckster only became stronger as soon as he tried to forcefully escape. "Don't think I haven't noticed how you look at her. Little Naegi-kun has a thing for Asahina-chan, hmm? I wonder how everyone would react if they knew."

He didn't react to her provocation, knowing that it would lead to nothing positive, so instead he simply gave her a pointed look from the corner of his eyes.

Junko's lips parted once more, for the blonde model was certainly not done. Instead of the sound of her voice, however, a small beeping noise what filled his ear, courtesy of a little wristwatch attached to Junko's wrist.

He looked down at her arm in curiosity, not remembering her ever wearing such a thing, but before he was able to comment on it she suddenly broke their hug, with both of her hands then landing on the back of his shoulders.

"You can thank me later for this." He didn't have to turn around to know she was sporting a grin. "I expect a good enough compensation though! Also, send Asahina-chan my regards!"

But before he was even able to voice out his confusion, he was suddenly pushed out her room with such a force that he actually stumbled out, almost meeting the wall on the other side with his face.

He turned around abruptly, just in time to see Junko waving her hand at him right before she closed the door of her room firmly, leaving him by himself in the hallway.

Or so he thought.

He gave the door with Junko's plaque an exasperated look before sighing deeply, truly not knowing what to make of what just happened not even ten minutes ago.

"Naegi?"

He wasn't given much time to ponder on that, however, considering the deep voice that had suddenly regarded him, forcing him to turn his head to the side, his eyes widening slightly as a result.

"Ogami-san?"

* * *

"I'm…sorry if this causes you any trouble, Ogami-san."

"If it was anybody else, I would be obliged to report it." The Ultimate Martial Artist spoke in a serious tone as they both walked, right before she offered the smaller Ultimate a small smile. "Since it's Naegi, however, I'm sure no one will really mind."

He could only smile gratefully after hearing such a thing, while also feeling lucky that it was Ogami Sakura the one that had found him during her patrol. If it had been the Ultimate Boxer, for example, he was more than sure that it would lead to quite the argument.

He was more than sure that he would still be getting some sort of reprimand tomorrow, but that wasn't' here nor there.

Right now, his mind was more preoccupied with the last thing Junko had told him.

Was something wrong with the Ultimate Swimming Pro? If that was truly the case then, he needed to do something about it…but why would Junko tell him such a thing? Dragging him into the school in the middle of the night just to tell him that?

This was a first, all things considered, and he didn't know how to feel about the fact that Junko was becoming even more unpredictable.

"I must admit my confusion though, Naegi." Sakura's words got him to look up once more, right in time to see the silver-haired woman give him a raised eyebrow and a piercing look. "I wasn't aware that you and Enoshima had… _that_ kind of relationship."

It took almost a dozen seconds for his mind to properly process what Sakura was implying, but once his brain did so, the response was pretty much immediate.

What followed was five minutes straight of Naegi Makoto doing his best to explain to the Martial Artist how such a relationship between him and Enoshima Junko would be nothing short of a catastrophe.

And honestly, Sakura found herself simply nodding along to his speech, honestly impressed with how much passion her classmate was putting into his words just to tell her that Enoshima Junko wasn't his type.

Not that she didn't understand, and even in her head, considering what she saw every time the two interacted, a relationship between Naegi Makoto and Enoshima Junko just sounded…wrong.

And illegal too, just based on the kind of things Makoto was spluttering about.

She had just asked to be sure, and now that she had her answer she could only release a small, relaxing breath.

It seemed her best friend still had a chance then.

In fact, wasn't this just the perfect opportunity?

"-and I'm sure Matsuda-senpai would kill me if he-" Makoto's mumblings were interrupted once Sakura's hand firmly landed on his shoulder, earning a squeak of surprise from the Luckster, right before she gave his classmate a confused look at the sudden contact.

"Naegi," Sakura spoke in her usual calm tone; however, there was warmness behind her gaze that only served to confuse him even more. "Would you mind helping me with something before you leave?"

* * *

She was in the zone.

This…this was her area of expertise. The field in which her skills could truly shine, and in which she felt the most comfortable with.

Of course, sports were her passion, but just like her title indicated, _this_ one, in particular, had a special place in her heart.

She took a deep, calming breath to try and control her raging heart. Normally, a few laps would do little to actually tire her, but since she had been doing what she loved the most for hours already, even her toned body was aching and asking for some sort of comfort.

But right now wasn't the time for that, not considering the favor she had asked for her best friend so that she could be here at such an hour.

For even though this place was also technically her Research Lab, she still didn't want any trouble by being out of her room so late. Things were a bit tense, after all, and the last thing she needed before the big event that was coming up was to get in some sort of issue.

The thought of that event though, was enough to make her suddenly open her eyes, her blue orbs showing nothing but the fiery spirit inside of her, just as droplets of water traveled down her face and suit, making a puddle at her feet.

And then, as if a mental signal had been sent to her brain, she moved her body into a familiar, by now instinctual position.

And a couple of seconds later, the sound of her body hitting the water of the massive pool filled the room.

Like a fish to the water, almost literally, all things considered, the young woman moved, her action creating ripples through the pool as a result.

Her movements were impeccable, nothing short of perfection itself. A flawless technique born out a combination of sheer talent and hard work that would leave anyone that knew about the matter nothing short of speechless.

Even those that didn't know would still be able to tell that there was just something…special.

Such was the ability of someone with the title of Ultimate.

And before she knew it, she had already moved through the entirety of the pool, with her palm meeting the marble on the end of it, signaling the end of her swim and allowing her to raise her head properly, with her breath coming out in labored bursts.

But even though the constant exercise was truly tiring her by now, there was no sign that she would stop any time soon in her gaze, for even though she enjoyed winning as any other person, it was this type of situations what she truly loved the most.

The hard work, the effort, and the dedication put to the sports she loved with the objective of breaking through her limits and improving herself…

 _That_ was the source of her pride above anything else.

She had to admit, however, just as she moved towards the stairs close to her floating form, that she certainly wouldn't mind winning the upcoming event.

That was the key reason she was doing this extra training, after all.

And while a part of it was her pride and the wish of taking the win this year, there was no denying that another big reason had to do with-

 _Clap_.

Her line of thought died just as she reached the end of the stairs, with her whole body out of the water. A gasp left her lips, just as she turned her head to where the sound of palm meeting with another one was heard.

Almost immediately, her blue eyes zoned on the one responsible for that sound, with nothing but honest shock appearing on her face.

"N-Naegi-kun?!"

She watched him as he stopped clapping before standing up from his seat at one of the benches to the side of the pool, and while he started walking towards her, the Ultimate Swimming Pro could do nothing but stand there, frozen in place while looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

More than a couple of questions coursed through the head of the brunette, with all of them being about the Luckster now walking towards her. How was he here? Why was here?! Shouldn't he be in his home by now?

Wait…was this a dream? It wouldn't be the first time she had dreamed about the Luckster, after all, although just remembering that was enough to make her cheeks grow warm.

In fact, a lot of her dreams regarding him even started just like this too!

She would just have finished training or an important competition, and he would be waiting for her at the finish line, with a warm, prideful smile that always got her all fuzzy and fidgety, and a box of donuts in his hands.

Those had easily become her favorite kind of dreams.

Would this go like that too, then? She could certainly eat a donut right now, and maybe the Luckster would even feed it to her like that one time-

"Asahina-san?"

"Wah?" She mumbled absentmindedly at the hand that was being slowly waved in front of her face, which after a few seconds was actually able to break her out of her daydream, right before being replaced by Makoto's concerned frown.

"You're….drooling a bit there." Makoto pointed out, earning another gasp from Aoi, which complimented her mortified look quite nicely.

"I-I'm not!" She squawked out in obvious embarrassment, with even her face going red, and contrary to her own words she even went as fast to wipe her mouth with her arm. "I-it was just water from the pool!"

Fortunately, or else she truly felt like she would die right there, Makoto seemed to accept her excuse with a nod, earning a relieved sigh from the Swimmer.

And with everything settled now, she could now go back to-wait no!

"This…isn't a dream, right?" She still asked to be sure, while glaring suspiciously at the blinking Luckster.

"No…?" Makoto answered, more than a bit lost as to what his classmate was talking about.

She kept her narrowed stare at him for a couple of seconds, however once she realized he didn't have any box of donuts in his hands, Aoi relented, now accepting that this wasn't one of her dreams.

That just made this even weirder then!

Five minutes later, however, while the pair of students from class 78 sat by the edge of the pool, everything was now making a lot more sense.

"Sakura-chan…" Aoi whispered with a small, grateful smile on her lips. She did so low enough so that not even the Luckster to her side would be able to hear her, for even though they were sitting close there was still enough space between them so that she wouldn't accidentally soak him or something.

And right now, she was certainly glad of the small distance, for while she was certainly more than comfortable in her one-piece swimsuit, she was also feeling a bit too self-conscious right now.

"I'll admit I was a bit confused when she asked me to look over you," Makoto admitted with a sheepish smile on his face. "But now I'm glad."

"Glad?"

"Of course!" He stated without missing a beat. "I was able to watch Asahina-san swim again…it is still as amazing as always."

The sheer awe in Makoto's voice was enough to make her face go red once more, although a pleased smile did make its way onto her lips.

He was right after all, for she couldn't remember the last time she had practiced in front of him, a result of just how busy Makoto had gotten this year.

It had been hectic before already, but the Luckster had somehow always found time to spend with her every time she asked, but now that he also had to keep an eye on the new class? The last thing she wanted was to add more weight to his shoulders.

Still, it made her feel fuzzy on the inside to know he liked seeing her do what she loved the most. It certainly filled her chest with pride.

"Isn't it a bit late, though?" The Luckster asked in confusion.

"Well…" She drew her knees to her chest before hugging them softly. "I just wanted to practice a bit more…"

Maybe she had been a bit selfish, but she just couldn't help it!

"That definitely sounds like Asahina-san!" Makoto laughed a bit, only earning a pout from the girl in question. "Is it because of the Sports Festival?" He then asked, even though the answer was more than obvious to him.

"Of course!" Aoi declared with passion. Something that only made the Luckster smile even more. "I'm not loosing against Akane-senpai again this year!"

"And you…!" The Ultimate Swimming Pro then followed it up with a finger pointing directly at Makoto's face, while a small glare adorned her face. "Better keep your promise and cheer for me that day!"

He could only smile awkwardly against such a stare. That angry pout was hardly something he would consider intimidating.

"Of course I will!" He still answered quickly, knowing that he owed at least much to the brunette.

That line of thought, however, also reminded him of the other little promise that he had made to her that day.

"I also said I wanted to celebrate Asahina-san's hard work." Makoto's smile was quick to turn into one with disappointment. "But…I guess we never got the chance to do that."

"…its fine, Naegi-kun." She gave him an understanding smile, one that slowly managed to make him smile back in return. "I-we all know how busy you've been getting lately."

She would be lying if she said that she didn't miss how things were before, back in their first year. Those had been simpler times, like when she and her best friend were able to bring the Luckster into their training session.

Just thinking of Makoto trying to keep the same rhythm as them was enough to make her giggle.

"But still…" Makoto still spoke with shame on his voice. "Someone made me realize that I might be ignoring people that I care without even noticing it…"

She immediately opened her mouth to complain about such thought, but before she was able to speak she was stopped by the sudden look she received from the ahoge-boy.

It was an intense look, one that took her breath away from her out of sheer surprise. Those were the kind of looks he rarely sported, but whenever he did, it always made her fidget on her spot.

She liked his kind smiles…but she couldn't say that she didn't like this side of him too…

"That's why I want to make it up to Asahina-san." Makoto declared with a resolute nod, only earning a small, almost shy one from Aoi's part. "Then, after the Sports Festival, I want to go and celebrate with Asahina-san as I promised before."

She could only stare dumbfounded at her classmate for a few seconds while blinking absentmindedly, her mind working overtime at the moment.

But after that, a tint of red colored her cheeks quite brightly, to the point she looked like she was burning up. On her head, however, there was only one thought burning through her neurons.

'Like…a date?!' She screamed in her head, her complete lack of experience in this area truly showing, but still, with the way he said it, wasn't this just like a date?! He was asking only her and no one else, and that intense look he was giving her…

"Unless…you don't want to?"

"Of course I do!" She suddenly yelled, pushing her body forward towards the surprised Makoto, however, once she realized what she had done, a mortified look crossed over her face right as an embarrassed flush covered her cheeks.

She brought her hands to cover her face while silently groaning, right before peeking from between her fingers to glare slightly at the still confused Luckster; after all, it was his fault that she was acting like a fumbling mess!

But still…

"I would love to…" She spoke softly, only loud enough so that Makoto would hear her, right before offering him a reassuring smile, one that he returned with a small grin of his own.

She would have asked him if it was a real date, but she would most like die of embarrassment before being able to produce such a question.

But still, if before she was feeling motivated to win, now she was more than fired up. She would have to give Sakura a big hug for this, right before asking her for advice or anything that could help her!

This was already becoming better than any of those dreams she had!

…Exept, there was still one last thing that she always did in those dreams of hers, for it was only there, knowing that it was just a fantasy, where she could be honest with her feelings.

But maybe… if it was that day then…

"Ne, Naegi-kun." Her voice came out after taking a deep breath, and while her tone was quite even, Makoto was able to see the same spirit Aoi had whenever she was truly motivated. "Could you…promise me just one more thing?"

"Sure…?" He shot back without a doubt, something that made Aoi chuckle a bit. Always so reliable, wasn't he?

"If we-no." The Ultimate Swimming Pro then shook her head before nodding resolutely. " _After_ our class wins…there's something I want to tell you…it's really important to me, so that's why…"

"If it is so important then, why not tell me now?" He frowned in doubt, to which once more Aoi could only shake her head.

"I don't think I could." Not as she was right now, at least, with how nervous and scared she was. "But that day… would you hear what I have to say?"

But if it was after winning the Sports Festival, after coming victorious in the field she loved, when her confidence was as high as it could get then…maybe she would be able to tell him how she felt.

Like in her dreams.

"Of course!" And just like that, Naegi Makoto sealed the deal with a smile, for while he couldn't say he understood everything properly, he still could tell that this was important to her. There was no way he would have said no.

"Thanks…!" She scratched the back of her head before giving him a sweet smile, with her blue orbs meeting his brown ones, the warmness of her own gaze only matched by his own.

A comfortable silence fell around the two students of class 78, to the point Aoi truly hoped no one would come and interrupt this moment. It was normally either their classmates or someone from another class the ones that meddled in the worst times possible, but since it was so late right now, maybe she wouldn't have to worry about such thing?

And a part of her had been correct, after all the interruption didn't come from any of the other students.

But rather, it came from the inside….

Of her stomach, to be more precise.

A sudden growl broke the silence, one that left both teenagers blinking in honest shock for a couple of seconds, right before they slowly moved their gaze downwards, towards Aoi's midsection to be more precise.

The Swimmer's face burned scarlet once more, followed by a small whine leaving her lips before another grown of defeat. She hid her face behind her the palm of her hands one more time, truly wishing the water in the pool would swallow her up right now or something.

Of all times to make an idiot out of herself!

"Asahina-san…" Makoto's voice, a mix of shock and reproach, only made even her ears go red. "Are you again on that diet thing? Because if you are…"

"N-no!" She cursed herself mentally for stuttering, but with the worried face Makoto was giving her she knew it was better than nothing. "It's not like that! I just…ended up skipping dinner by accident."

It was the honest truth; for she had actually been so focused on her practice that she had actually forgotten to eat.

"Asahina-san forgetting dinner…are you sure you're not sick?"

"W-what's that supposed to mean?!" She threw a barrage of light punches into his shoulder, to which Makoto only chuckle as he raised his hands in mock surrender.

He suddenly stood up, earning a questioning glance from the still miffed tanned-girl, right until he offered her his hand.

"I'm sure we can find a vending machine with something, even if it's late." He said, to which she grinned excitedly just as she took his hand.

"Lead the way then!" She said in an upbeat manner, not going to turn down an offer like that. She _was_ hungry, after all, and while she would have certainly preferred if her stomach hadn't growled like a fricking lion, she couldn't deny the results.

But just as the time-traveler gave on step forward, it seemed that his luck had decided that it couldn't let things end in such a thing.

For the next thing he knew, Naegi Makoto actually slipped.

Quite the feat considering that this Research Lab had been made exactly to avoid that kind of incidents.

The sound of a body hitting water echoed in the massive room once more.

"Naegi-kun!"

The bubbles coming from the pool was her only response.

* * *

He sighed deeply as he rubbed his left arm with his right hand.

Was it wrong to say that he felt a bit naked right now?

Normally, it was either his school uniform, or his trusted hoodie, but right now, as he walked through the halls of the school intent on leaving, with only a white shirt and brown pants, he felt as if a key part of him was just…missing.

He was glad he always kept a set of clothes in his room here, just in case something like accidentally falling into a pool ever happened.

And while he would have preferred to take his hoodie and vest home, Aoi had insisted on drying it herself, since she was apparently feeling a bit guilty about the accident.

He didn't understand why, but he knew she was too stubborn to make her change her mind, which was why he walked with his hands empty and his hair still a bit wet.

At least the rest of the night promised to be a calm one, for right now the only thing he wanted to was to go back to his home, hit the bed and-

"Naegi-kun!"

-crap basket.

He openly groaned once a certain strawberry blonde girl that he knew very well appeared from right around the corner, sporting a grin that made her look like a kid that had gotten away with some sort of prank.

"Enoshima-san." He observed warily, wondering what she was doing away from her room at such an hour like this. That could lead to dangerous results, after all, but he doubted Junko would show herself like this if she was trying to play it sneakily.

"How did it go then?" The Ultimate Analyst asked, right before giving him a proper look over, with her then raising an eyebrow before her grin became even fiercer. "Ho? Maybe I underestimated Asahina-chan a bit…"

He ignored that comment, deciding that she would only enjoy herself more if he reacted to her provocations. Instead, he decided to get the answers to the questions that had been plaguing his mind for a while now.

"Why?" He asked directly. "You wanted me to see Asahina-san, I realize that now…but why? What are you trying to get here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Her tone came out as if she was talking to a small child. "I just wanted to help Asahina-chan a bit! She's one of our key members for the Sports Festival, so we need her at her best…." Her gaze then turned into a coy one. "And to get there she just needed a bit of an extra motivation."

"Last time I checked you didn't care about that…"

"True true." She walked slowly towards him with both hands behind her. "But I would prefer if we won this time, since it would let me keep an eye on you after it ends."

"We better win this though." Junko continued, just as she started circling Makoto like a hunter about to strike her prey. "Asahina-chan would get so disappointed otherwise…I mean, two years in a row? That must hurt a lot for someone like her whose only good trait is her body… especially with her self-esteem issues… Maybe I could give her a shoulder to cry on then…"

Junko would have continued without missing a beat, if Makoto himself hadn't suddenly turned to look at the Fashionista square in the face.

"I won't let you." It was a simple statement the one that escaped from Makoto's lips, however it carried such a force that it managed to wipe out Junko's grin for just a second, leaving resolute brown eyes to look at cold blue ones for just a second, right before a small smirk and a look full of mirth appeared on the blonde's face, before she went back to just move stroll around him.

"No need to stress yourself over that, Naegi-kun. I was just kidding there." Junko's laughter did little in the way of calming the Luckster. "Besides, I have a bigger pest in my sight right now."

"The message…" It wasn't hard to figure out whom she meant, especially remembering how she had reacted to that message last time he saw her, or how she had even told Mukuro about it.

"I suppose you haven't got a clue as to who the little shit that sent that thing is, correct?" Junko questioned with an edge to her voice that even the Luckster recognized, something that sent more than a couple of alarms ringing in his head.

"Even if I did..." He spoke slowly, watching as Junko walked slightly away from him. "I wouldn't tell you."

He knew how such a thing would end, for it would end like how it always did with Despair.

In death.

And he wouldn't allow that, never again.

"Hoh? Think you can protect them from me?" Her voice held nothing but mock and disdain, just as she turned around and started walking straight towards him.

She did so in silence until she was in arms reach of him, and even then she moved until their bodies were touching, although if she expected some sort of reaction from the Luckster, the only thing she got was a narrowed gaze.

"You don't need to worry about silly matters like that, Naegi-kun." She raised her arms slowly and moved them so that they circled the Luckster's neck, with Makoto's hand instantly moving to grab her arms, even though it did little to stop her. "Just let Junko-sama get rid of whoever is stupid enough to come between us…"

Her face then moved slowly towards him, but even so, Makoto didn't dare to look away from the blonde's eyes. She had that look once again, after all, one in which her blue orbs were now nothing but a pool of madness that was trying to swallow him up entirely.

"And then…" Her voice was husky, and with them being so close Makoto could even feel her hot breath in his lips. Just one little movement would all it took for their mouths to come in contact with the other, however Junko had no intentions of giving that one last step this time.

No, for what she wanted the most was for Naegi Makoto to openly _want_ her, to desire every single part of her, to the point it would be him the one begging to close the minuscule distance between them.

Because that would mean he had been defeated. That would mean he was giving up, and that he was giving himself up to her.

And that meant he was giving his heart to Despair.

"We'll have all the time in the world to _play_ with everyone…" That was as far as the Ultimate Despair got, however, for after finally deciding that this was more than enough, he managed to pry her arms off the back of his neck.

He gave her one last look, one that Junko returned with a wink, before he simply walked away from her. He wouldn't let Junko's words get to him, for they were only threats that he would never let her fulfill.

His objective hadn't changed, for even if there was a new Ultimate Despair out there with knowledge of the future, he still couldn't forget about the girl that had singlehandedly brought the world to its knees.

He would show her a Hope that not even her Despair could defeat.

But as he walked away from her, Enoshima Junko still gave him one last look over her shoulder, one filled with so many conflicting filling that it looked like a raging storm.

Hate, love, desire, loath, anger, longing...

And in heart, the only thing she wanted most in the world was for Naegi Makoto to share the same gaze as hers.

Even right there, it took every single fragment remaining of her self-control for her to not do something drastic.

Instead, she only rested her right hand over her chest, right over her erratically-beating heart.

That hopeful fool was the only one that could get her so worked up like this, and yet he dared to get himself distracted just by a stupid message?

No good, but she would pay him back in full, right after properly exterminating whoever had the balls to touch what was hers.

There was no point in bringing Despair to Naegi Makoto if he wasn't even looking at her and _only_ her, after all.

But at the end of the day, she would never let such a little bug to ruin the only interesting aspect of her life.

She will turn Naegi Makoto into Despair, just like her, and then…

She'll watch gleefully as he does the same with Hope's Peak Academy.

She grinned widely then, showing a set of perfectly white teeth. Maybe she just needed a rather… _different_ approach, then?

Her _dear_ sister certainly had few words regarding certain girl that had seemingly made herself a resident at the Naegi household…

She had never bothered herself with it, considering it only another one of her Luckster's charity works, but…paying a visit to the Elemental Course sounded more entertaining with each second that passed.

* * *

 **And that's that. There isn't actually much that I can say about this chapter, besides just saying that I had fun writing it. Here is where my bias shows I suppose.**

 **If you want to blame something for the delay in this chapter, blame Megaman X on the SNES and Xenoblade Chronicle on the Wii for taking my free time (that one is a personal favorite of mine, easily one of my favorite JRPGs up there with Chrono Trigger, Persona 5 and FF Tactics)**

 **Like I said before, next flashback chapter has already been decided (V3 character and a dude). However, by next chapter I will most likely put a poll for the flashback that comes after that, featuring a character from DR2 that you will all get to choose.**

 **I'm glad you guys liked the previous chapter, although I can't say much about the assumptions some of you readers have made. They are certainly fun to read though.**

 **I would like to say that I'll be able to update before the year ends, but I can't make any promises. I would like to make a holydays chapter just for the fun of it, but I doubt I'll get the time so I wouldn't get my hopes up.**

 **I probably sound like a broken record already, but thank you once again for your continuous support and interest in the form of follows, favorites, views and reviews.**

 **Next Chapter: Work that body!**


	23. Bonds Through Hard Work

"Hope!" Normal Speech

'Despair!' People's thoughts

" _Truth!"_ Flashbacks

 **Disclaimer: I have as much ownership of the Danganronpa series as you do dear reader.**

 **Important Poll on my profile page! More details at the end of the chapter.**

 **AN: Thanks to RWBYJNPR for beta-reading this chapter.**

 **AN2: Other tags for this story (since the site only gives you 2): Mystery/Friendship/Drama.**

 **Chapter 19**

 **Bonds Through Hard Work**

"Are we sure she's…fine?"

"No one said she was fine in the first place."

"You know what I mean…!"

"M-maybe it's a s-sport thing…?"

"Kuwata-kun?"

"No one on my team ever acted like that, that's for sure."

"If you're all so curious, why don't you just ask her?"

"Why don't _you_ go, then? You're both girls and all!"

"I'd rather not have a headache so early in the day…Maizono-san, could you be a dear and help these simpletons out?"

"Hmm…"

"…is the room getting colder or is it just me?"

If there was one thing that the teachers of Hope's Peak Academy had to learn to accept if they wanted to be able to do their work, it was to accept the strange sights that could appear in front of their eyes each time they entered a classroom to do their work.

It was a necessity by now considering the reputation of the school, as simple as that.

But even after years of doing her job and learning what it meant to guide such unique individuals like the Ultimates, Yukizome Chisa still could only look in confusion at the group of her students that had gathered at one of the desks, with hushed whispers leaving the small huddle by the second.

She tilted her head slightly, for she had not expected to be greeted by such a sight as soon as she opened the door of the classroom. It seemed no one had noticed her entrance, however, based on how the majority of the students currently in the classroom were still too busy just whispering between one another while throwing not-so-subtle glances at the opposite side of the room.

She blinked confusedly at the gathered bunch of teenagers before tilting her head slightly, her gaze then trailing slowly towards the object of the group's attention.

"Ara?"

And she had to admit; even this one had her confused too.

She had always prided herself in the fact that she had come to truly know the students of this batch, just like how she had done so before with her previous group.

But even so, she still couldn't figure out why Asahina Aoi, the Ultimate Swimming Pro, was currently thrusting her arms in front of her with a bag on her hands, while her upper body was bent exactly in a 90-degree angle.

It didn't help that the tanned girl seemed to whisper something under her breath right before correcting her posture, then following it by writing something on a notebook on her desk, just to then repeat the whole thing once more.

It was almost a hypnotic sight, like a puppy practicing a new trick.

But as captivating as it was, it didn't mean that she could just stand there while looking at her students forever.

"Did…something happen to Asahina-chan…?" She asked in a whisper just as she walked closer to a huddled group of teenagers.

"Beats me, she's been acting weird since we got here." It was Mondo who answered absentmindedly with a shrug. It actually took a couple of seconds for him, alongside everyone else, to actually realize that the question hadn't come from any of them, but rather from behind.

"Y-Yukizome-sensei…!" Chihiro's voice came out with a surprised gasp, leading his classmates to turn and look at their teacher with different amounts of surprise.

"Good morning everyone!" She could only giggle slightly at their reaction, for it really seemed that they had been so focused on their classmate that they hadn't even noticed her coming in.

One of them was quick to exchange his surprised expression with a mortified one, however.

"What kind of behavior are we displaying to our teacher?!" Kiyotaka declared in a loud tone, earning nothing but a few eye-rolls and tired sighs from his peers. "I apologize, Yukizome-sensei, for not being in our seat even though you have already-"

"It's way too early for this crap…" Kiyotaka's words were suddenly turned into an incoherent mumble, courtesy of Leon planting his palm firmly over the Ultimate Moral Compass' mouth.

"It's fine since it's still early, Ishimaru-kun." The teacher of the class said so with a smile, her gaze then moving around the room quickly before returning another smile towards her students. "There's still time for everyone else to get here."

Not counting the ones in front of her and the Ultimate Swimming Pro still doing her little act in the corner, there was still half of the classroom missing.

It wasn't really strange considering some of the ones not here however, considering how Yasuhiro and Toko tended to arrive after everyone else. Kyoko not being here already probably had something to do with her father, she decided, although she was more than a bit surprised by Sakura not being here already.

As for the remaining ones, she could only chuckle awkwardly in response. Considering Makoto wasn't here yet, she could only hope he arrived on time, though she wasn't really surprised that neither the Ultimate Fashionista nor Soldier were here yet.

'At least Togami-kun is here this time...' She thought with a beaming smile that she sent towards a different corner of the classroom.

And the only thing she got in response was the cold shoulder of the Ultimate Affluent Prodigy, who simply sat by himself, ignoring everything around him.

'…Baby steps.'

Her focus though, should probably go back to a certain brunette all things considered.

"As for your question, Yukizome-sensei." Celestia took the chance to get the conversation back on track, with her fingers hiding her mouth just as she turned her red eyes towards the Swimmer. "We do not know what caused such behavior, and Ogami-san isn't here for us to ask her."

It was a pretty well know fact that if you wanted to know something about Asahina Aoi, then Ogami Sakura was your best bet.

But without her being here then…

"I bet Naegi-dono would know if he was here!" Hifumi declared with a confident huff, although it was followed by a slight flinch as soon as Celestia sent him a narrowed gaze from her seat.

"I suppose that's true…" The Gambler agreed, albeit a bit reluctantly, which only earned a relieved breath from the Doujin Author. Around the red-eyed girl, her fellow classmate could do nothing but nod in agreement, although it was a bit absentmindedly coming from Sayaka, who still had a doubtful look focused on the Swimmer.

It was also a fact that the former Ultimate Housekeeper understood very well, and one that honestly made her feel a bit jealous from time to time, for as a teacher one of the things she wished for the most was to get close to her new class, just like how she had done so with her first batch.

It wasn't an easy endeavor to say the least, especially with how head-strong or shy some of them could be. But that hadn't stopped Naegi from doing so, so there was no way it would stop her.

A spirited smile formed slowly on her lips just as the students in front of her kept throwing random assumptions between them. Maybe this was the perfect chance to deepen the relationship with one of her dear students? Asahina Aoi was always one of the more friendly ones after all, if not a bit of an airhead from time to time.

"Just leave it to me!" The orange-haired woman declared with a puff of her chest, only earning confusing blinks from her students, but before they could even say something to her, Chisa had already made her move by walking straight towards the Swimmer, with the eyes every other student, even the seemingly bored Byakuya, now focusing on her back.

The sight that followed only made the group of students even more confused, it that was even possible. The conversation had seemingly started slowly enough if Aoi's rather nervous expression was anything to go by, but after a few seconds, the tanned girl was pretty much chatting the teacher's ear off with a determined look on her face.

Her voice was still not high enough for the rest to hear, however, and considering that their teacher's reaction was to just nod with a smile on her face, it didn't leave much room for guesswork among them.

Their gazes grew more expectant and curious with each second that passed, right until Aoi gave a small bow to Chisa, which was followed by the former Ultimate Housekeeper turning around and retracing her steps from before, a perfect smile still plastered on her lips.

"You know…" Mondo started with a whisper, an honest look of surprise in his face after seeing that Aoi now looked a bit more relieved. "Sometimes I forget sensei is an…"

"Adult?" Leon offered

"Yeah, that."

"Well…" Celeste continued. "The other class loves her for a reason, I suppose…"

Their comments stopped once Chisa finally rejoined the group, once more becoming the center of attention among them.

They waited for a few seconds, assuming that she would explain whatever had happened to them at the very least. Instead, though, she just stood there with her eyes closed and the corner of her lips still upwards in a perfectly crafted smile that, for reasons beyond them, was actually just making them a bit worried.

After a couple of minutes of silence, that 'bit' easily turned into 'extremely'

"Yukizome-sensei?" Sayaka asked with obvious concern in her tone, right before she raised her hand to slightly touch the woman's shoulder. Before she was able to do that though, he hand froze in place as soon as a small giggle suddenly escaped her teacher's mouth.

And like one united front, every student surrounding Chisa gave one sharp and precise step back.

Sayaka actually gave two, for that was a sound she was extremely familiar with.

Fortunately for them, the target of her…emotions ended up being the unlucky fellow that had just decided to grace the classroom with his presence by sliding open the door right in front of them.

"Good morning, everyo-aaAAHH!"

"YOU'RE TOO YOUNG!"

The sight that greeted the rest of the missing members of class 78 as soon as they entered the classroom was of their resident Ultimate Lucky Student being shaken around by an almost hysterical teacher, while someone from the group that was trying, and failing miserably mind you, to separate them was also screaming about misunderstandings.

* * *

"-And that's why you should all wait until you're married!"

"Yes Naegi-kun, wait until your honeymoon, you dirty boy~."

"…shut up."

And as a response, she just poked him in the back with the eraser of her pencil.

At least Junko wasn't using the pointy end today though, he supposed, so there was at least that…

His positive thinking could only take him so far however, considering the not at all subtle looks he was receiving from pretty much everyone in the room.

He knew Hope's Peak Academy could sometimes be quite…liberal with how they handled some of their classes, especially when it came to Homeroom, but even so…

Wasn't a surprise lecture about biology and responsibility a bit, well, weird?

Especially considering what had transpired right before class started.

It seemed it would take a bit longer before he could ask for his hoodie back, considering how much he doubted asking for it in the classroom would end in anything good.

At least the bell was about to finally ring, and considering what his next class was, he was sure that he would be able to get his hoodie back soon enough without causing some sort of mayhem.

He was pretty much counting the seconds to escape Chisa's rather…intense look she sent his way from time to time, but it ended not being the bell what allowed him to escape such a thing.

No, for instead of that, it was the sound of the door being opened minutes before the bell ringed what brought an end to Chisa's lecture.

"Oya oya, seems you lot were having quite the fun so early in the day."

"Kizakura-san?" The surprise in Chisa's voice was to be expected, considering the last person she expected to see right now was her fellow teacher. Said look quickly turned into a doubtful one, however. "Don't tell me you ditched Homeroom again!"

"Your lack of faith wounds me, Yukizome… I just gave the kiddies a bit of extra time before their next class." Hope's Peak premier scout explained in an easygoing tone right before simply walking into the classroom, earning more than a couple of looks of suspicion and interest from the students present.

This wasn't what they would call a normal occurrence, to say the least.

"And what exactly brings you here, Kizakura-san?" It wasn't that she personally disliked her fellow teacher, especially considering how she had gotten her position with his help, but even so there was still more than a bit of doubt on her gaze. Something about this filled her with suspicion for some reason.

"You guys have P.E after this, right?" Instead of answering her, however, the blonde man simply threw his question towards the sitting students.

"We indeed do, Sensei!" Seeing as everyone else seemed reluctant to answer, it was the Ultimate Moral Compass the one that did so in a form tone, only earning an approval humming from the man in response.

"You could have asked me that…" Chisa mumbled under her breath, right before a piece of paper was pretty much thrust in front of her face. She simply blinked at it a couple of times before taking the paper in her hands, away from Koichi's grasp.

Her eyes swept over the paper carefully, absorbing every little word plastered over its surface. With each second that passed, her gaze grew increasingly wide while her hold on the sheet also became tighter the more she read.

The clear signature at the end of it though, had one of her eyes almost twitching.

"K-Kizakura-sensei?!"

"Now now, let's not make the kiddies wait. I promised them a surprise and all."

"Yukizome-sensei, do something!"

She had been so absorbed in her reading in fact, that she hadn't noticed the sudden uproar in her classroom until someone had yelled out her name, but by the time she had finally torn her gaze from the paper, it was already too late.

"I'll return him after P.E, Yukizome!" The laidback man declared airily just as he reached the door with a rather perplexed Makoto in tow.

And then, without even waiting for a response, the man simply closed the door as if it was nothing, leaving as quickly as he had come.

Only that now, the classroom was missing one of its students.

But judging by how a couple of her students, namely the Soldier and the Biker Gang Leader, were moving towards the door it was more than obvious that they weren't just going to let this go.

Sadly for them, she would have put a stop to that even if she didn't like what had just happened.

"He has the Headmaster's approval, everyone!" She spoke before releasing a frustrated breath, her words stopping those with the intention of bringing the Luckster back. If it was just Kizakura Koichi then it wouldn't be much trouble, but if the Headmaster was involved…

"Are you even sure that's true?" Cutting through the increasingly frustrated voices of his classmates, however, was Byakuya's cold statement, which easily earned him the attention of the class. "I wouldn't put it past that man to fake a document like that."

Chisa's eyes widened at such an idea, her eyes once more falling into the sheet in her hands. She re-read it once, and then twice, focusing more on the signature at the end.

It certainly looked like the legit thing, but this was the man that had no issue with giving alcohol to her cute little students…

"Sensei, if I may?" Chisa's attention moved away once more, this time to the purple-haired girl now standing to her side with her gloved hand extended towards her.

She just nodded slightly before lending the Ultimate Detective the paper, for Chisa was sure someone like Kirigiri Kyoko would have a better chance at telling if it was real or not.

She waited with bated breath as the girl's violet eyes swept over, for she was more than ready to burst out of this room and give her senior a piece of her mind if this was just a ruse.

And judging by the looks her students were giving the Detective, she knew she wasn't the only one with such an idea running through her head.

Sadly for them, their hopes ended up being quickly washed away from Kyoko herself.

"This is the Headmaster's signature." Kyoko declared after a few seconds, with a choir of disappointed groans, even from Chisa herself, following her statement.

"I don't get why you lot are complaining!" And as if it wasn't enough, Junko had decided to grace the classroom with her own two cents. "I'm the one that just lost my cute little P.E partner!"

That was, indeed, true considering Makoto always paired himself off with the Ultimate Fashionista in such regard.

It was a shame since no one else got the chance to be partners with him at such class, but considering it meant he kept Junko at bay, they could only applaud his sacrifice.

Now, however…

"I guess I'll just need a new one then." Junko's sing-song tone sent shivers down more than a couple of spines. "Mukuro-nee doesn't count of course."

The argument that followed such declarations was enough to drown the sound of the bell, and of the poor teacher trying to rein her students in.

* * *

"C'mon Shuichi, you're slacking off too much already!"

"E-even if you…say that…"

"You need to be faster than that!"

"Momota-kun says that, but…"

"…He isn't really going that fast either, is he?"

It was true, for in front of the eyes of the two Class Representative, Momota Kaito wasn't really running that faster than Saihara Shuichi.

Whether it was because he was just keeping the same pace as the Luckster of his class, or because this was also his limit… they decided to not delve too deep into that.

It didn't change the fact that they were one of the few that still hadn't finished their laps around the field, with the only other three being Kiibo, Himiko, and Tenko.

Although in Tenko's case, her reason for still being on the field certainly had little to do with her lack physical prowess.

As for the remaining members of class 79, and a certain ahoge-haired boy that had been dragged here, well…

"That's enough resting! Switch it up, set of twenty now!" And followed by those loud, strong words was the sound of a fierce whistle, courtesy of the Ultimate Wrestler watching over the students.

And while his attire might have changed for his position as a P.E instructor, his trusted mask was still firmly covering his face

And with such signal, half of the students started moving their upper bodies, slowly raising before moving back down and repeat in what could be seen as just a normal sit-up, while the other half sat in front of each one while grabbing their knees.

And in Makoto's case, it was the Ultimate Pianist the one paired up with him.

And while the Luckster did his best to complete the task at hand, Kaede was more concerned about a certain something that she had to ask the older Ultimate, or rather _confirm_.

And since she had been the one paired up with her senpai, it was her duty to confirm it with him it seemed; at least judging by the not so subtle looks she was receiving from the two sitting beside her, Miu and Tsumugi to be more precise.

And while she liked that her class was depending on her more as a Class Representative, she hadn't meant it like this!

But still…

"Ne, senpai…" She asked doubtfully, for while she didn't want to distract him right now, she was also aware of good this chance was.

Their teacher could be…problematic, to say the least, but he definitely pulled through when they needed him!

"Yes?" He spoke between breaths, honestly surprising Kaede with how well he was taking this routine. Her senpai just never struck her as someone that worked out that much, but he was certainly fairing well so far.

Sure, he wasn't close to the likes of Ryoma, Kirumi or Gonta, but she doubted many were in the first place…

"Akamatsu-san? You're staring…"

It was only Makoto's voice that took the blonde out of her thoughts, with a blush of embarrassment covering her cheeks as soon as she realized she had been just looking silently even though she was the one that called him out!

"I-I mean…" She would have couched into her fist if she wasn't using both of her hands to grab the Luckster's knees. "Kizakura-sense told us about the…the prize of the Sports Festival…"

"Wait…" Makoto stopped just as he raised his upper body, with an incredulous look on his face. "Kizakura-sensei waited until _now_ to tell you guys about that?!"

With his voice coming out in a hushed whisper, the Pianist in front of him could do nothing but to nod with a tired smile, something that only made the Luckster groan in response.

Sure, he hadn't told them about it either, but that was because he had _assumed_ their teacher had already talked to them about it.

He apparently had been wrong in assuming such a thing, however.

And now, the only thing he could do was to send a defeated look over Kaede's shoulder, for sitting on the stands on the opposite side of the field they were currently in was the teacher in question, sitting cheerfully with no worry whatsoever.

The small wave Kizakura Koichi sent back once he realized he was being watched by the Luckster did little to soothe his concerns.

"Ne, is it true then?"

His disappointed stare towards the teacher ended up being broken by the excited whispering to his left, with the owner of said voice being none other than the Ultimate Supreme Leader.

And honestly, the way Kokichi's eyes were sparking right now sent a small shiver down his spine.

Was the boy really already done with his reps?

"Ouma-kun!" Kaede's admonishing murmur followed suit. "We agreed I would be the one to-"

"You were taking too long." Whatever agreement they had gotten before was obviously of little importance to the purple haired Ultimate. "At this rate, Naegi-chan here is going to get captured and taken to another country!"

In response, the time-traveler in question opened his mouth…

He promptly closed it a second later though, while only lamenting the fact that his underclassmen already had such an opinion about him.

"So?!" Ignoring the insulted-looking Pianist, Kokichi continued his interrogation, his face moving right into Makoto's personal bubble to the point he had to move his head backward a bit.

"W-well…" His voice came out perplexed, not expecting such a spirited reaction from the younger Ultimate. "There's a special trip for the wi-"

"Not that!"

He didn't know what worried him the most, the fact that the Ultimate Supreme Leader was inching even closer or the fact that even Kaede was not-so subtly also leaning towards him, almost as if there was a chance that they would miss whatever he was going to say if they didn't move closer.

And if he hadn't been so focused on the two Ultimates almost making holes at his face with his eyes, he would have noticed how everyone else from class 79 had suddenly stopped moving halfway through their exercise, and were now sending pointed looks towards the trio of huddled Ultimates.

"I meant about you-"

Kokichi's voice died, however, as soon as a massive shadow was cast not only over him, but also over the pair of Class Representatives, whose wide eyes instantly moved up.

Kokichi for his part could only blink confusedly for a second, his mind wondering as to who had turned the sun off. He turned his head around slowly, with wide eyes and a frozen smile appearing on his face once he saw the individual standing right behind him.

Or, to be more precise, the crimson eyes of the bull mask resting on the person's face.

And everyone could have sworn at that moment though, that said orbs were glowing red.

"Slacking off like this, even though the Sports Festival is approaching..." The Ultimate Wrestler's voice was deadly calm. "Something like that… is nothing short of unacceptable."

And before anyone knew it, the man known as Great Gozu had already grasped the white shirt of Kokichi's P.E uniform.

There was only one second of warning for what came next.

"Repent!"

"aaaAAAHHH!"

For the next thing everyone knew was that Oma Kokichi had been thrown straight into the sky, the screams leaving his lungs becoming harder to hear with each second.

"Do not forget you will all be representing your class during that day… I shall correct anyone that doesn't put their all while their teammates do!" Gozu's declaration came out with nothing but passion

However, the only response he got was for the students to do their exercises with renewed vigor, although there was no denying that said vigor was mostly fueled out of the desire to not be the next one to be launched into space.

"You could have…warned him…" Between ragged breaths, it was Makoto the one that spoke, his words directed at the girl that had been paired up with the now missing Supreme Leader. He knew, after all, just how seriously someone like Great Gozu took his duty.

Sometimes _too_ seriously if he had to be honest.

But the look he received from one Harukawa Maki told him that warning her fellow Ultimate was the last thing that had ever crossed her mind.

* * *

"They sure are a rowdy bunch, don't you think?" He asked with mirth while he rested his chin on the palm of his hands, a coy smile present on his lips as he watched one of his students being thrown into the clouds by his fellow teacher.

Ahh, the joys of youth…

And speaking of said youth.

"Not that I'm complaining or anything." His tone was relaxed, with his blue eyes slowly moving to the side. "But shouldn't you be in class?"

"My partner ran away." And in response, the Ultimate Detective sitting to his right answered with a small shrug. "Sensei told me to go and find her, but it seems she isn't here either…"

"Ho? I see…" Koichi's response came with a nod, although the smile on his lips seemed to grow just a bit. "I suppose your presence here has nothing to do with me faking Jin's signature then."

The fact that he got no answer besides a narrowed gaze was enough to make Hope's Peak's premier scout chuckle.

"Truly, I'm lucky of having such a cute goddaughter!" The man's voice was even followed by an attempt of patting Kyoko's hair, however his hand was not even half-way there before it was slapped away by the clearly not amused Kirigiri.

"I'll have to ask you to not say such a thing out loud."

"How cold~" If the teacher was honestly hurt by her cold words however, he showed no signs of that. "I can only wonder why you didn't rat me out when you could." He said so in a lax way, however, even then he was barely able to contain the shiver that coursed through his body just thinking of what Chisa might have done with him if she ever found out.

At least the school gave him good insurance.

"I needed to speak with someone, and it was easier without Naegi-kun there." The purple-eyed student said, with a small sigh escaping her lips, something that told the blonde man that said conversation had not been a pleasant endeavor.

"And?"

"I told you my partner ran away, didn't I?" Kyoko looked honestly upset at that, to which Koichi could do nothing but to whistle impressed.

A comfortable silence fell over the two soon after that, just as their gaze focused on the group of hard-working teens. They turned their attention right on time to see the bull-masked man catch the student he had thrown previously, and a certain Luckster fretting over said boy.

"Why?" The silence was cut by Kyoko's question though, and while the question could have been considered vague, it was definitely more than enough to the man to her side.

But even so, he still didn't give her a verbal response right away. No, instead he slowly stood up, earning Kyoko's attention, right before stretching slightly, with a small popping sound coming out of him as a response.

Then, he gave the girl a grin while adjusting the hat resting on his head.

"I'm still a teacher of this school, you know?" His tone was carefree; however, years of practice told Kyoko that he wasn't kidding in the slightest. "And so is my job to look out for my cute little students, even if they don't realize they need a hand here and there."

And with no more left to say, the blonde walked down from his seat, just to then march down towards the group formed by the students of his class, all the while Kyoko only watched him with a raised eyebrow, her gaze making a hole in the man's back.

He was a hard one to understand, after all. Her father was already quite the case anyway, so why was her supposedly Godfather also such an…unique individual?

She decided though, considering how honest his words had sounded in her ears, that he wasn't all that bad anyway.

* * *

"I…did not think this one through."

He hadn't, he truly hadn't.

It sounded like a good idea not even ten minutes ago.

And it _was_.

He just hadn't thought that much on the details of such endeavor.

So he could only mull over it now in his head, his face set in a frown.

Maybe if he…?

"Ugh…."

A sigh of frustration and the sound of a can meeting the ground was his only result, however.

Putting everything back together, he decided to go back to the basics in the hope that it would let him fix this mess.

He had two perfectly capable hands

He could also use his arms to get some leverage by holding some of them against his body.

He could put a couple in his pockets, but his lack of hoodie right now limited him a bit.

…maybe he could balance one on his head?

Another sad breath left his lips, just as he hung his head in defeat.

It had sounded easy enough, to just go back and buy some drinks for his tired underclassmen.

Said idea had come from quite the unexpected source, since he was sure no one had expected for Kizakura Koichi to suddenly appear while declaring that the kids, as he called them, needed something to cool off a bit.

He had even given him the money to buy them, and while Makoto had no issue with the idea before, now he found himself facing quite the dilemma.

Namely, the fact that he just couldn't carry all of the drinks by himself.

He had tried of course, but that only ended with him acting like a fool for ten minutes straight.

Thinking back, he should have probably accepted the offer of help from, well, most of class 79.

Sure, he could always make two trips but, with his luck, something told him that the beverages left behind wouldn't survive by themselves.

He could only hum with his eyes closed and his fingers on his chin, trying to see if his brain could come with an idea that could help him here.

"You won't be able to carry all of those by yourself."

"Yeah…"

"Already thought about how you'll do it?"

"Not yet…"

"Want a hand then?"

"That would be great, yeah…"

It was only then that the Luckster blinked, now realizing that he had not, in fact, been talking to himself.

He looked to his side, only to find nothing there.

A small cough forced him to look down.

And then, he was only able to offer an apologetic, awkward smile in response to the blank eyes, raised eyebrow and small smirk resting on the newcomer's face.

At the very least, he could feel proud about the fact that he wasn't going crazy.

* * *

"Sorry that you had to come and help me with this, Hoshi-kun." He apologized once more while doing his best to not drop any of the cans now resting in his arms.

"It beats having you getting stressed over a couple of drinks of all things." There was a hint of playfulness coming from the Ultimate Tennis Pro's voice, one that only made Makoto chuckle slightly. "Kizakura-sensei was going to send someone anyway, I just finished my work first."

"Wait, wasn't your partner-"

"She was, yes," Ryoma confirmed with a nod. "Toujo had quite the argument with sensei as I was leaving, something about her duty and title. The rest got pretty heated up after that." He decided to skip the part in which certain Supreme Leaded did nothing but puke on the sidelines, for apparently being thrown into the sky had left him more than a bit dizzy.

"I feel a bit responsible for that…" He knew how headstrong the Ultimate Maid could be when it involved what she considered her duty after all.

"I'll admit." The smirk resting on Ryoma's lips became just an inch wider. "That when I first saw you, you never struck me as the popular guy from school."

"I wasn't-" He tried to deny such a fact, remembering just how far from popular he was during middle school.

The sheer look he received from Ryoma however, stopped that idea right in its tracks. It was the type of look that told him that the younger Ultimate wouldn't believe any of his, as a certain Neurologist would put it, _bullshit_.

"That just means you're approachable though." And then, even though he had his arms busy, the smaller Ultimate still found a way to grab the stick that had been resting on his ear, right before putting it between his lips. "So don't take it as a bad thing."

"Hoshi-kun?" There was something about the forlorn look in Ryoma's eyes however, that forced the Luckster to stop his walk. Said action was followed immediately by Ryoma, who had started moving the stick in his mouth from one side to another one.

An action that the Luckster remembered quite well, for the last time he had seen the Ultimate Tennis Player doing something like that, it had meant…

"I have a favor to ask you, Makoto-senpai."

* * *

"You need to be faster, senpai!"

"Ughh…!"

He swung his hand, the racket grasped in his fingers just barely making contact with the ball.

"Your swing is lacking precision and power!" And in comparison, Hoshi Ryoma made it look like the easiest thing in the world. "Again!"

Having no time to rest, the Luckster ran to the opposite side as fast as he could while sweat poured down his forehead, his breathing hard and erratic.

"Ha!" Once more, he was barely able to connect with the hit.

"Watch your footing!" Ryoma's deep voice carried out through the room once more, just as he smacked the ball once more into the opposite side of the course. "The last thing you want is-"

"Ahh!"

"…well, _that_."

A groan left the defeated time-traveled, who could only slowly roll on his back so that he was facing upwards, his hand moving to rub his now sore nose.

That had been a nasty fall, after all.

But even after the pain had gone away, he still didn't dare to stand up from his position, honestly enjoying just resting there on the ground, his eyes closed and his limbs sprawled around.

Surely, a second of rest was fine, right?

The sudden figure that blocked the light from reaching his face seemed to think differently however.

The Luckster opened his eyes slightly, a hint of fear appearing once he saw the Ultimate Tennis Pro's serious look. Honestly, his whole body ached just by being at the receiving end of that look.

Luckily though, it seemed that Ryoma was willing to give him a break, for just a second later Ryoma's expression turned into a slightly amused one, right ass he extended his hand towards the ahoge-boy.

"Calm down, senpai." Ryoma's tone was a mix of seriousness and confidence. "You already helped me enough, and forcing you to keep up with more would be nothing short of uncool."

A relieved breath left the exhausted Luckster, who then grinned before grasping the offered limb.

And less than five minutes later, the pair of Ultimates found themselves sitting on the bench at the side of the court they had been using for the past hour or so.

Their current state couldn't have contrasted more too, considering how Ryoma simply sat there while moving a white stick between his fingers, while on the other side of the bench was Makoto with his head hanging low and a towel resting on his neck just as his right hand grasped tightly on an almost empty water bottle.

A comfortable silence had fallen between two, mostly so that the Luckster could recover properly, however the frown resting on Ryoma's face made it obvious about he was trying to gather his own thoughts.

"Sorry, Hoshi-kun." It was Makoto's tired voice that broke the silence, earning a curious look from the Tennis Pro. "I guess… I still make a lousy partner…"

"I should make you train some more just for that comment alone," Ryoma grunted out swiftly. "I picked you myself as my partner. Are you saying I have a bad eye for this?"

"N-no!" The Luckster would have even waved his hands if just raising his arms wasn't hard for him right now, for that piercing look he was receiving from the younger Ultimate wasn't a pretty one. "I just…w-wish I could keep up better with you…"

"Hmph…" Ryoma could only shake his head while adjusting his hat. "Don't talk as if you haven't improved already. Compared to how you were before, you aren't half-bad."

Makoto would have taken that as a compliment, truly he would have!

But considering how much he utterly sucked at the sport before…

Of _course_ he had improved; he just couldn't have gotten worse in the first place!

"Besides…" The Luckster kept his mouth shut, however, just as Ryoma stood up from his seat. "Even if you were utterly hopeless with this, I still wouldn't pick anyone else as my partner."

It actually took Makoto a bit to process Ryoma's words, but once he did the effect was pretty much immediate with the way his whole face went red in embarrassment.

A reaction, mind you, that wasn't missed by the Ultimate Tennis Pro.

"Why are you blushing, senpai?"

"W-well, that's, I-I mean… Hoshi-kun just surprised me a bit…"

"…You're making this a lot more awkward than it has any right to be, you know?"

"S-Sorry?"

"Forget it."

The silence that followed the two was a lot less comfortable than the previous one, to say the least.

It reached the point in which the Luckster tried to find _any_ topic to talk about just get rid of the awkwardness that wad, admittedly, his fault.

"Yosh! Time to put some effort, Shuichi!"

"I'm sure we already did plenty of that in the morning, Momota-kun."

Luckily for him, he ended up not having to do a thing thanks to the sudden appearance of a certain pair of Ultimates, ones that easily got the attention of not only him but also Ryoma.

"Momota-kun and Saihara-kun?"

"Eh? Hoshi-kun and…"

"Makoto too! Told you we would cacth up with them sooner or later, Shuichi!"

Makoto's expression turned into one of sheer confusion, for the last thing he had expected right now was for such a pair just pop in the Ultimate Tennis Pro's Ultimate Lab.

"Momota was pestering me about wanting to use my lab every since the start of the year." Noticing Makoto's confusion, Ryoma was quick to explain. "So I let him use it from time to time…I just didn't expect to see him today."

"This is perfect though!" Kaito's voice came out with excitement, not noticing the change in demeanor on Ryoma just as the smaller Ultimate started walking towards him. "I wanted to challenge you for a while now! Heck, we can even make it a 2 on-"

"I refuse." Such was Ryoma's response, so short and abrupt that it stopped more words from leaving Kaito's mouth "Go bother someone else with that."

"Hoshi-kun?" Even Shuichi was shocked, but even as he whispered his name, Ryoma simply walked past his two classmates, a racket still in his hand, with the obvious intention of leaving the room.

The pair of students from class 79 could only watch Ryoma's back in surprise as the owner of the Research Lab kept walking away from them.

In fact, the only thing that took the duo out of their shock was the pair of hands that had landed on their shoulders.

"I'll go talk to him." Makoto's voice was both firm and apologetic, with him giving the two younger Ultimates a nod before rushing behind Ryoma, leaving still two confused Ultimates in his wake.

* * *

"Wait, Hoshi-kun!" Makoto called out frantically at the retreating young man. While closing the door of the lab behind him, he was just glad that the owner of said lab was still on this hallway.

And it seemed Ryoma had heard him loud and clear with how he stopped walking almost immediately, right before throwing a look over his shoulder towards the Luckster.

"If you're going to try and convince me of having a match with Momota, you better save your breath." Ryoma's voice was as stoic as before. "We both know that's never going to happen."

The words in Makoto's throat died right there and there, however Ryota was far from done.

"In fact." This time, the Ultimate Tennis Pro seemed to struggle a bit with what he was about to say. "You should also tell the Headmaster that I won't be doing any public exhibition or anything like that."

And without waiting for a response, Ryoma just turned his head and started walking once more. He didn't want to see Makoto's face of disappointment, after all.

He had already disappointed plenty of people throughout his life, after all. He didn't want to see that same expression once again, _especially_ if it came from Makoto.

"You're not disappointing me, Hoshi-kun!"

Instead of what he expected, however, the voice that came from behind him had such a degree of understanding that it honestly forced Ryoma to just look back in surprise, right on time to catch Makoto's sad smile.

"I understand that it's not easy for you…" The ahoge-boy spoke slowly, trying to find the right words to express what he wanted to say. "I really don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to."

"It's just that…" He continued, offering another smile to the younger Ultimate. "Whenever Hoshi-kun plays tennis… the way you move, the expression in your face, even the look in your eyes! All of that…I think Hoshi-kun looks the coolest when he's playing."

The grip Ryoma had on his racket became painfully tight to the point his knuckle was going white, but even so, his attention was still solely on the Luckster in front of him.

"And that's what I want everyone to see!" This time, the Luckster's voice carried a passion that made Ryoma's eyes widen in surprise. "I just…want everyone else to see Hoshi-kun in the same way I do!"

Was such a thing even possible though? Ryoma honestly thought it wasn't, after all for a while now he had been considered nothing short of a monster, a criminal at the eyes of society, someone that had betrayed everything and everyone that once stood by him, first for money and then for revenge.

And the one dearest to him had paid the price with her life.

Hoshi Ryoma had blood in his hands, a taint that he knew he would never be able to get rid of.

So when others looked at him with fear or disgust, he was fine with that.

When plenty of his classmates acted on edge around him, he understood that.

The fact that he couldn't leave the school and the area surrounding it without the approval of the Headmaster was something he had accepted too.

For he deserved all of that and more.

He should be rotting away in a hole forgotten by everyone.

It wouldn't amend his actions, but it was the least he deserved.

Playing the sport he loved in front of others, _with_ other people…he had lost that right a long time ago.

So then…

Why was he allowing this?

Why did he allow someone like Naegi Makoto, who never gave him those looks of disgust, to be around him?

Why was he being so selfish?

How much of a hypocrite could he be?

He hated himself for accepting someone like the Luckster in his life, even though he didn't deserve it.

So then, why…?

"I know I didn't know _her_ …but I'm sure _she_ would have wanted the same, Hoshi-kun."

And then, like a splash of cold water, Makoto's words hit Ryoma with such force that he almost gave a step back.

Almost as if only now noticing what he had said though, the Luckster's eyes widened in horror not even a second a later.

"I-I' sorry!" The honest regret in his voice could not be mistaken for anything else. "I shouldn't have-I now I shouldn't have, just…"

Ryoma stood without even moving an inch however, his gaze glued to the floor, a blank stare that reflected nothing, something that only made Makoto regret his words even more, knowing how much of a sore subject it was.

"Sorry, Hoshi-kun." He could only muster one more heartfelt apology before slowly turning around, deciding that the Ultimate Tennis Pro not reacting was a sign of him wanting him gone.

The sound of the door to Ryoma's lab opening and closing once more was the last thing heard in that hallway, for as long as Ryoma stood there not even sound ever left him.

* * *

He had messed up.

Big time, extremely big time.

He should have known, how could he be so insensitive?!

He more than anyone else should know how it feels when something like that from the past is brought up, and yet he had said those things in the heat of the moment.

He almost felt like tearing his hair out, with the sound of Kaito and Shuichi practicing a bit being nothing but white noise to his ears right now.

He wouldn't be surprised if Ryoma hated him now. He knew he wouldn't blame the Tennis Pro if he did.

He just…hated seeing that look on Ryoma's face.

He saw it from time to time, the eyes of a man that had just given up on life in it's entirety.

He couldn't stand it.

He just couldn't accept it.

That hollowness… No one should have to live like that…

It just reminded him too much to what Junko stood for…

But still, that didn't justify what he had done, right?

This was the second time he had brought up that part of Ryoma's past, and he doubted the Tennis Pro would forgive him this time.

Damn it…

"Now I'll show you, Shuichi! My famous shot, you won't even be able to react to it!"

"You say that every time we play, Momota-kun…"

"You talk too much, Shuichi!" And then, the Ultimate Astronaut threw the ball in his hand up in the air, more than ready to do his serve. "Let's see if you can handle thi-"

"You're swinging too early!"

And in response to the sudden, fierce voice that filled the room, Kaito missed his short completely, the ball hitting his head instead of his racket.

The surprise in Kaito's expression, however, alongside Shuichi's, paled in comparison to Makoto's expression.

"H-Hoshi-kun?!" Makoto pretty much squeaked out in surprise, his eyes focusing on the Ultimate Tennis Pro, who was now walking closer to him while keeping his eyes on his two classmates in his course.

"Saihara! Watch your posture, you keep fidgeting too much!" Ryoma called out once more, just as he stood to Makoto's right. "If you're going to use my field, then you'll start doing it right!"

"Hoshi-kun? Why are you-"

"Playing with others might be out of my reach right now." Ryoma interrupted while adjusting the hat in his head. "But if it this then… it's easy enough."

"You…" Makoto didn't know what to say, for the last thing he expected was to receive a small grin from the brown-haired teen.

"Momota! What kind of way is that to hold a racket?!" Ryoma yelled once more, right before deciding to march straight towards the Ultimate Astronaut, whose face held a mix between disbelief and excitement.

"Makoto-senpai." However, just as he was leaving, he still gave the Luckster another look, this time the sharp expression in his eyes growing just a bit softer. "You're right about never meeting _her_ …but sometimes you remind me of her way too much for my taste."

"Eh…?" And truly, the Luckster didn't know how to take such a comment.

"You're both extremely meddlesome, after all….not that I dislike such a thing anyway."

With seemingly no more words left to say, the shorter Ultimate simply walked towards his classmates, his intentions of helping them more than obvious in the time-traveler's eyes.

And as he saw that, Ryoma's previous word finally caught up with Makoto, a small, relieved smile forming in his lips at the thought.

'For now, he says…'

Ryoma was right.

Not everything could be fixed and forgotten in just a day.

But still…

Baby steps, right?

* * *

 **Excuses time everyone. I know the last chapter was 4 months ago, but as to why it took so long, well, I won't bore you with the details, but my country is pretty much going through the breaking point of a crisis, and it is something that stopped me from writing, either 'cause I didn't have the time or I couldn't find enjoyment in doing it with everything that's happening.**

 **My lack of internet (and even just electricity) also stopped me from answering PMs and reviews, so I apologize for that. I'll try and get to them, both old and new, as soon as I can. Sad that I can't answer some of the Guests ones though.**

 **Honestly, I wished that after so long, this chapter was more, well, impactful to the plot or just better overall, however I had to make this chapter like this since that was always the plan.**

 **Starting with the previous one and now this one, next chapters will most likely focus on the more physically gifted members of each game. Seems fitting since this is pretty much just a prelude to the Sports Festival.**

 **An important Announcement, however, I'll be putting up a poll on my profile page as soon as this chapter goes live, so go ahead and vote for your favorite DR2 character! This poll is for me to decide which DR2 character will get a flashback chapter next (after the V3 character one of course), so if you want a chapter like that for your favorite character be sure to vote.**

 **I apologize for the delay, and while I would like to promise that the next chapter won't take as long, I know I cant.**

 **Thank you all for your patience and your continuous support! I'll try to not disappear this time around! I'll throw a bone just to see who nails the character of the next chapter.**

 **Next Chapter: In the eyes of S…**


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